Marie Antoinette · Premium
The solemn wedding celebrations at Versailles
On 16 May 1770, after the wedding ceremony in the royal chapel, Versailles prepared to celebrate the marriage of Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste with a day of unprecedented splendour. The gates were opened to the people, who invaded the gardens to admire the fountains, the water features and, in the evening, a grand display of lights on the Grand Canal. But a violent storm broke over the palace, scattering the chilled crowd. A few days later, on 30 May, a second celebration at Place Louis XV turned into tragedy: a fire during the fireworks caused a stampede that killed hundreds of people. Meanwhile, in the new performance hall of the palace, the Opéra Royale, wrapped in the glow of thousands of candles, the wedding banquet took place. During the meal, Louis XV warned his nephew to moderate his eating in view of the first wedding night, but the young Dauphin, in his naivety, completely misunderstood the advice. That night, and for seven long years, the marriage remained unconsummated, transforming a private problem into an affair of state that threatened the Bourbon dynasty.
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