Marie Antoinette · Premium
The wedding journey and the first encounter in the Forest of Compiègne
Marie Antoinette's journey from Vienna to Versailles was a rite of passage that transformed her from an Austrian archduchess into the Dauphine of France. After the handover ceremony on the Rhine island, she made her triumphal entry into Strasbourg, where she was warmly received by the citizens. Here she met for the first time Prince Louis de Rohan, who years later would be the protagonist of the infamous "Affair of the Necklace". On 14 May 1770, in the Forest of Compiègne, she met Louis XV and her husband Louis Auguste for the first time: the king welcomed her warmly, but the Dauphin, shy and awkward, showed no affection. That evening, among the ladies she met was the Princess of Lamballe, a future loyal friend. The following day, Marie Antoinette noticed the presence of Countess Du Barry, the king's mistress, who would become her rival. On 16 May she finally reached Versailles, unaware that this journey, begun amid celebrations and hopes, would end twenty-three years later before the scaffold.
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