Marie Antoinette at the Victoria and Albert Museum (Part 1)

Few can be unaware of the current exhibition, at V&A Kensington, London until March 22nd 2026, of the clothing relating to the wardrobe of the controversial, vilified, spendthrift, French Queen Marie Antoinette (1755-1793).

 

Above: Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste in their wedding outfits-French National Archives. The couple were formally wed at Versailles 16 May 1770. For her wedding Marie wore a French style court gown of Parisian silver brocade silk gifted to her by her mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.

The gown in the exhibition, pictured here, is a copy of a dress worn by Marie Antoinette's sister in law The Contesse d'Artois. It is the wedding gown of Duchess Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta (later Queen of Sweden). It is constructed of Brocaded silk, silver thread, metal and whalebone and was made in 1774 by an unknown maker. 

Above: Portrait of Duchess Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta in her wedding gown.

Marie Antoinette was to be incredibly influential with her extravagant style across Europe and beyond. This exhibition aims to reclaim the narrative away from her cake-eating legacy and explore whether the villainy that lead to her execution by guillotine was justified. 

Above:Jacques-Louis David, Marie Antoinette on Her Way to the Guillotine, 1793, Louvre, Paris, France.

Unfortunately Marie's belongings were also destroyed in the revolution and so the exhibition is comprised of clothing that was made to emulate her style. 

Great post about the queens dress here for further reading.