A day in the life of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was a woman of great style.
She was known for her elaborate hairstyles, her innovative fashion choices, and her love of jewels.
Court etiquette at Versailles was one of the most important factors in Marie Antoinette‘s life.
Her daily schedule meant she had to adhere to excessive etiquette, regulations, and protocols, and these began from the moment she opened her eyes.
Marie had a long and complex morning beauty and dressing routine.
These were essentially daily shows put on for the court.
She was surrounded by servants, ladies in waiting, family members, and members of the court circle from the moment she awoke.
Large numbers of people witnessed these rituals. Her morning routines, like those of the king, were a matter of semi-public interest.
This show was known as the levée – meaning “the rising”
Marie was awoken around 8am.
She was presented with chemises, robes, towels, and handkerchiefs, to wear after her bath.
She was then presented with a book of fabric swatches which corresponded to various items of clothing.
She had dozens to choose from and the season dictated the clothing items for her to select.
Marie had to choose three looks for the day – a morning dress, an afternoon “undress”, and a more formal evening look for dinner and nighttime events.
She would mark the ones she wanted with a pin through the fabrics.
The Royal bathers were then admitted to the room, and a rolling bathtub wheeled in.
Marie Antoinette bathed nearly every day.
Around 9am, Marie returned to her bed, dressed in a white taffeta lounging gown, to do some reading or embroidery.
Breakfast was served on a small table – or even on a tray that went over the bath if she was still bathing by breakfast time.
This small meal consisted of nothing more than chocolate or coffee, and was not elaborate.
Her courtiers were admitted to watch her have breakfast.
At 10am, Marie briefly visited her husband’s aunts.
The king would often be present, as he used the mornings to visit with his female relatives.
His three unmarried aunts were collectively known as the “Mesdames de France”.
They refused to marry and lose their titles of princesses, and so lived at Versailles.
Marie’s elaborate hairstyles, which she sometimes designed herself, were started by the royal hairdressers around 11am.
The ‘Grand Toilette’ commenced at midday.
This was a public spectacle of the queen’s makeup.
The toilet table was very elaborate, and placed in the centre of the room.
Her beauty products included face creams, a lightening cream, a pale face powder, some beauty marks, and blush.
The routine started with cleansing Marie’s skin, using astringents, and adding a whitener.
White paint was then applied and dusted with a scented powder.
Rouge was applied to redden her cheeks.
Her look was finished off with a glossy pomade applied to her eyelids and lips.
Her perfume of choice was orange flower water.
Each item Marie required, had to be handed to her from her first lady in waiting, or from the lady of honour – not from the servant who brought the item in.
Marie would then curtsey to her courtiers, after having her hair done.
At every stage of the day royal etiquette required that she perform for various court members in this way – an aspect of French royal life she found tiresome.
After the toilette is complete, Marie met her husband, and they go to hear mass together.
Around 1pm, dinner is announced, and Marie is handed the menu.
Dinner begins when a bowl is presented to the king to wash his hands.
Marie usually ate nothing more than a small portion of meat, and she never drank wine.
After dinner, Marie visits with her children, then returns to her apartments with her women.
She writes letters, attends to business, and reads.
She also removes her panniers and the lower part of her robe.
A light gown, such as muslin or cotton, is then worn for the rest of the day.
At 5pm, Marie has harpsichord and singing lessons.
At 6pm, Marie again visits the King’s aunts or takes a walk in the garden.
At 7:00pm, preparations for the evening begin.
Marie changes into an elaborate gown for the evening.
The gown she chooses depends on if she is attending a play, a formal dinner, a masked ball, or the opera.
At 9:00pm Marie has supper.
Supper often includes bouillon, chicken wings, and a glass of water in which she dips some little biscuits.
At 11pm, a similar procedure like the morning procedure is repeated at bedtime.
However, this time, the wardrobe woman brings a basket with a nightgown and nightcap.
Stockings for the next morning are also delivered.
After dressing for bed, whatever Marie has worn is taken to the wardrobe room for repairs or cleaning.
To maintain her beautiful hands, Marie often wears wax-lined gloves to bed.
Marie then waits for her husband to come to her bed….
Marie Antoinette disliked much of the pomp and circumstance associated with her position as Queen.
This was one reason why she often fled to her beloved Petit Trianon, a small homey palace given to her by Louis XVI shortly after he became King.
At the Petit Trianon, Marie did not have to suffer the same strict etiquette applied at Versailles.
Here, Marie was often seen strolling through the gardens, wearing a simple muslin dress and a floppy hat.
