{"id":87151,"date":"2026-01-02T08:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T08:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/87151\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T08:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T08:11:11","slug":"inside-vas-marie-antoinette-exhibition-rebekah-absalom-reveals-the-surprising-story-behind-the-french-queens-wedding-dress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/87151\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside V&A’s Marie Antoinette exhibition: REBEKAH ABSALOM reveals the surprising story behind the French Queen’s wedding dress"},"content":{"rendered":"

The V&A’s latest exhibition, Marie Antoinette Style, offers a fascinating dive into the fashion and mythology surrounding the 18th-century French queen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the UK’s first showcase devoted to the monarch – and the third to be staged outside France<\/a> – it sets out to move beyond her infamous reputation and reconsider whether her villainous image was ever truly deserved.<\/p>\n

A welcome bonus for design enthusiasts: the exhibition is sponsored by luxury footwear label Manolo Blahnik, which immediately piqued my interest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Visitors first encounter the monarch in a powder-pink room, with chequered floors inspired by Versailles, through a portrait of Marie Antoinette aged 22. Draped in silks and bows, the painting is by her favoured artist, \u00c9lisabeth Vig\u00e9e Le Brun.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A grand, mirrored gallery bathed in sparkling light, draws you into the world of the 14-year-old Marie as she arrived at the French court in 1770.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This room is filled with whimsical gowns,\u00a0their exaggerated skirts adorned with florals, embroidery and cascading ruffles.<\/p>\n

It is worth noting that these dresses did not belong to Marie herself. Rather, they represent the styles she popularised and helped define during her time at court.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The standout is a detailed brocaded silk wedding gown, threaded with silver, worn by Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hedwig married the future Charles XIII of Sweden<\/a> in 1774, just four years after Marie’s own marriage. Her Parisian gown, crafted from silver cloth and tissue, represents the height of royal bridalwear at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Marie’s original wedding dress, also made from cloth of silver and adorned with diamonds, no longer survives – making this the closest existing comparison.<\/p>\n

Like many visitors, I was struck by the tiny waist – estimated at just 23 inches – dramatically emphasised by the vast skirt supported by panniers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But there is a lesser-known story behind Marie’s marriage – and her wedding attire.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The V&A’s latest exhibition, Marie Antoinette Style, offers a fascinating deep dive into the fashion and mythology surrounding the 18th-century French queen<\/p>\n

\"Aged <\/p>\n

Aged 14, Marie Antoinette married Louis Auguste, who was just a year older than her, at the Royal Chapel of Versailles – unaware of the turmoil that would later define her life<\/p>\n

Born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, she technically married the Dauphin of France before ever meeting him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1770, at the age of 14, Marie took part in a proxy wedding ceremony in Austria, with her brother Archduke Ferdinand standing in for the groom. This ensured that when she crossed into France, she did so as a married woman.<\/p>\n

However, her formal wedding dress, made in advance in Paris, proved problematic. Constructed to estimated measurements, it was too small when she tried it on at the Palace of Versailles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With no fabric to adjust it, Marie walked down the aisle in a gown that could not fully close, revealing her corsetry beneath.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, she married Louis Auguste, who was just a year older than her, at the Royal Chapel – unaware of the turmoil that would later define her life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The last Queen of France before the French Revolution, which ultimately overthrew her husband, King Louis XVI, Marie was deeply unpopular with many of her contemporaries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She became synonymous with excess, criticised for lavish spending at a time when France was gripped by severe financial hardship. This reputation earned her the unflattering nickname, Madame D\u00e9ficit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1793, as revolutionary fervour reached its peak, Marie and Louis were executed by guillotine, bringing a brutal end to the monarchy’s reign.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Marie <\/p>\n

Marie became synonymous with excess, criticised for lavish spending at a time when France was gripped by severe financial hardship. This reputation earned her the unflattering nickname Madame D\u00e9ficit<\/p>\n

\"Several \"While <\/p>\n

While Marie’s personal jewellery was smuggled out of France and held by her only surviving child, Marie Th\u00e9r\u00e8se, many pieces are on display for the first time since her death<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The exhibition culminates in a breathtaking gown-filled room showcasing Marie’s lasting influence on fashion<\/p>\n

\"Galleries <\/p>\n

Galleries exploring Marie’s iconic hairstyles, created by her hairdresser Monsieur L\u00e9onard and stylist Rose Bertin, are displayed alongside fabric and lace swatches and fans<\/p>\n

\"The \"Visitors <\/p>\n

The exhibition, running until March 22, 2026, delivers everything you might expect: breathtaking gowns, glittering jewels, elegant furnishings and portraiture, alongside rare objects that have never before left Versailles<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The exhibition is sponsored by luxury footwear designer Manolo Blahnik, who created\u00a0an exquisite collection on display<\/p>\n

\"One <\/p>\n

One particularly poignant room features sketches of Marie’s imprisonment and execution,\u00a0 a guillotine blade, depictions of a wax bust of her severed head, and a medallion containing locks of her hair<\/p>\n

Marie Antoinette’s enduring appeal is shaped by her style, youth and notoriety. She sparked trends, such as towering hairstyles reaching up to three feet high, adorned with feathers and embellishments that reflected her bold personality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The exhibition, running until March 22, 2026, delivers everything you might expect: breathtaking gowns, glittering jewels, elegant furnishings and portraiture, alongside rare objects that have never before left Versailles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My inner magpie was on high alert after visiting the Cartier exhibition<\/a>, and I was captivated by the dazzling diamond necklaces and brooches on display.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Indeed, while Marie’s personal jewellery was smuggled out of France and held by her only surviving child, Marie Th\u00e9r\u00e8se, many pieces are being shown for the first time since her death.<\/p>\n

I was also captivated by the galleries exploring Marie’s iconic hairstyles, created by her hairdresser Monsieur L\u00e9onard and stylist Rose Bertin, presented alongside fabric swatches, lace trimmings and decorative fans.<\/p>\n

Then comes a chilling shift: booming music and an eerie red corridor lead to the final chapter of Marie’s life in 1793, aged just 37.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This room is particularly poignant, featuring sketches of her imprisonment and execution, her final prayer book note pleading for mercy while thinking of her children, a guillotine blade, depictions of a wax bust of her severed head, and a medallion containing locks of her hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The centrepiece is her white linen prison chemise – the only complete garment of the queen on display.\u00a0Its stains make the scene hauntingly real.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The exhibition culminates in a breathtaking gown-filled room showcasing Marie’s lasting influence on fashion, complete with an exquisite Manolo Blahnik shoe collection – a fitting and unforgettable finale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The V&A’s latest exhibition, Marie Antoinette Style, offers a fascinating dive into the fashion and mythology surrounding the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":87152,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[818,7465,9,24,63,122,124,123,4259],"class_list":{"0":"post-87151","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-queens","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-france","10":"tag-new-york","11":"tag-new-york-city","12":"tag-nyc","13":"tag-queens","14":"tag-queens-headlines","15":"tag-queens-news","16":"tag-royals"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87151\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}