Deborah Chan
Marie Antoinette's wedding dress was a diamond-studded, cloth-of-silver gown, featuring large panniers, which added width to her silhouette. The dress was a traditional colour for a Dauphine, and the diamonds were a gift from her mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. However, the dress was too small, and could not be fastened at the back. Marie Antoinette's wardrobe has attracted much attention, particularly due to the propaganda directed against her during the revolution. Unfortunately, very few items from her wardrobe survive today, as they were destroyed during the storming of Versailles in 1789.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Wedding dress material | Cloth of silver, white hue, diamonds |
| Wedding dress features | Large panniers (hip pads), bodice |
| Reason for diamond adornment | A gift from her mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria |
| Wedding dress fit | Too small, back couldn't be fully closed |
| Wedding dress designer | Rose Bertin |
| Wedding dress fate | Destroyed by the ancien regime's traditions and the revolution |
| Wedding dress preservation | A chemise (undergarment) worn by Marie Antoinette while imprisoned is preserved |
| Wedding dress replicas | Dresses and personal effects exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria |
| Wedding dress ownership | Likely owned by the French government, institutions, and private collections |
| Wedding ceremony | Marie Antoinette's proxy marriage to the Dauphin of France in Austria, followed by a formal wedding ceremony at Versailles |
| Wedding dress colour | White and silver |
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What You'll Learn
Marie Antoinette wore two wedding dresses
Marie Antoinette, born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, technically married the Dauphin of France before she even met him—and without him being present. In April 1770, a wedding ceremony and subsequent banquet took place in her native Austria. Marie Antoinette’s brother, Archduke Ferdinand, served as a “proxy” groom and said the future King of France’s vows on his behalf. This was not unusual for the day and age. It was necessary so that when Marie Antoinette first set foot on French soil, she would be doing so as a married woman.
Marie Antoinette's second wedding dress was made long before her arrival at the French court. The dress was constructed out of cloth of silver, as was customary for a Dauphine, and shone with an overall white hue. The dress was also covered in diamonds, which had been a gift from her mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The dress featured large panniers, which could be described as hip pads today. The panniers added a significant amount of horizontal width to Marie Antoinette’s silhouette from the waist down. However, it was the bodice of her dress that created a substantial issue. Since the gown was constructed before her arrival in France, it had been made based on estimates of her measurements. When she tried on the dress for the first time on the day of her wedding, it was clear that it was too small. The back could not be fully closed and revealed her corsetry and chemise. There was no solution or extra material to fix the dress, so Marie Antoinette walked down the aisle in a gown that couldn’t be completely closed.
Unfortunately, none of Marie Antoinette's dresses remain today. They were destroyed by the ancien regime's traditions and then later the revolution's attempt to systematically destroy anything that could be made into a relic.
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The first dress was constructed out of cloth of silver
Marie Antoinette, born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, first married the Dauphin of France in April 1770 through a proxy ceremony in her native Austria. The dress she wore to that first wedding pales in comparison to the gown she wore for her formal wedding ceremony at Versailles. Marie Antoinette's second wedding dress was made long before her arrival at the French court.
When she tried on the dress for the first time on her wedding day, it could not be fully closed in the back, revealing parts of her corsetry and chemise. Despite the size issue, Marie Antoinette proceeded to walk down the aisle in the gown that couldn't be completely closed. The dress sparkled as she made her way down the formal Hall of Mirrors towards the royal chapel.
Unfortunately, Marie Antoinette's wedding dress no longer exists. It was likely destroyed by the ancien regime's traditions and the revolution's attempt to eradicate anything that could become a relic. The only surviving item of clothing from Marie Antoinette is a chemise she wore while the family was imprisoned at the Temple, which was kept by her daughter.
Marie Antoinette's wedding dress was extravagant and set the trends for the entire world. Her position as an Austrian-born queen made her a target of politically driven enemies, and her spending on clothing was often scrutinized and used against her. The propaganda directed against her during the revolution covered not only her political actions but also her fashion choices, which is why her wardrobe continues to attract attention even today.
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The second dress was too small
Marie Antoinette, born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, had an arranged marriage with the Dauphin of France, who later became King Louis XVI. In April 1770, a wedding ceremony was held in her native Austria. For this wedding, her brother, Archduke Ferdinand, acted as a proxy groom. The dress she wore to that first wedding was far less extravagant than the gown she wore for her formal wedding ceremony at Versailles.
The second dress, her wedding dress for the Versailles ceremony, was made long before her arrival at the French court. It was constructed out of cloth-of-silver, customary for a Dauphine, and shone with an overall white hue. The dress was also covered in diamonds, a gift from her mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. It featured large panniers, or hip pads, which added significant horizontal width to her silhouette from the waist down.
However, the second dress was too small. When she tried it on for the first time on her wedding day, the back could not be fully closed, revealing parts of her corsetry and chemise. There was no extra material to fix the dress, so Antoinette walked down the aisle with the gown partially open. The size issue was likely due to the dress being constructed before her arrival in France, and thus, it was made based on estimates of her measurements.
The wedding dress caused a scandal, although Antoinette was not to blame. Her position as an Austrian-born queen made her a target of politically driven enemies, and her spending on clothing was often criticised. While it was expected of a French queen to spend considerable amounts on clothing to maintain her status, her enemies and the public took offense at the nature of her expenditures, which were dictated by her personal tastes.
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The dress was destroyed by the ancien regime
Marie Antoinette's wedding dress was destroyed by the ancien regime's traditions, which saw the queen's dresses cast off and given to ladies in her household at the end of each season. The dresses were then either sold or repurposed. This tradition, combined with the revolution's attempt to destroy anything that could be made into a relic, means that there are no whole dresses of the queen still in existence.
The dress Marie Antoinette wore for her wedding was made long before her arrival in France and was based on estimates of her measurements. Unfortunately, when she tried on the dress for the first time on her wedding day, it was clear that it was too small. The back could not be fully closed, revealing a bit of her corsetry and chemise.
The dress was constructed out of cloth of silver, as was customary for a Dauphine, and shone with an overall white hue. It was also covered in diamonds, which had been a gift from her mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The gown also featured large panniers, or hip pads, which added significant horizontal width to Marie Antoinette's silhouette from the waist down.
While the dress no longer exists, it is said to have befitted a queen, judging by descriptions of its wide pannier hips and striking silver colour. Marie Antoinette's wedding dress was extravagant and adorned with white diamonds, which caused a scandal. However, the queen was simply following the lavish expectations of the court and playing the part of the decadent royal.
In addition to her wedding dress, Marie Antoinette had many other extravagant outfits, including a blue velvet dress adorned with a golden braid and a hat with white feathers, which she wore while learning to ride horses. She also had a red redingote, a masculine outfit, also with golden braids and a French tricorne hat. Unfortunately, very few items from her wardrobe survive today, as they were often appropriated by her ladies-in-waiting or destroyed during the revolution.
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Marie Antoinette's wedding dress was extravagant
Marie Antoinette's wedding dress was certainly extravagant. Constructed out of cloth of silver, the dress shone with a white hue. It was also covered in diamonds, which had been a gift from her mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The dress featured large panniers, or hip pads, which added width to her silhouette from the waist down. The bodice of the dress, however, was too small, and the back could not be fully closed, revealing a bit of her corsetry and chemise.
The dress was designed for a wedding ceremony in April 1770 in her native Austria. At this wedding, Marie Antoinette married the Dauphin of France, who was not present, with her brother Archduke Ferdinand serving as a "proxy" groom. The dress she wore to this wedding was far less extravagant than the one she would wear for her formal wedding ceremony at Versailles.
Marie Antoinette's second wedding dress was made long before her arrival at the French court and was based on estimates of her measurements. When she tried on the dress for the first time on the day of her wedding, it was too small. Nevertheless, she walked down the aisle in a gown that couldn't be completely closed.
The wedding dress caused a scandal, but this was not Marie Antoinette's fault. As a French noble, she was expected to dress lavishly, and her enemies and the public took offense at the nature of her expenditure. Marie Antoinette's spending on clothing was used as a strategy to attack her by her politically driven enemies.
Today, Marie Antoinette's wedding dress no longer exists. Most of her wardrobe was destroyed by the ancien regime's traditions and later by the revolution attempt to destroy anything that could be made into a relic. Some of her dresses were also appropriated by her ladies-in-waiting and her dame d'atours.
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Frequently asked questions
Marie Antoinette's wedding dress no longer exists. It was likely destroyed by the ancien regime's traditions and the revolution's attempt to systematically destroy anything that could be made into a relic.
Marie Antoinette was the undisputed Queen of Fashion in the 18th century. Her spending on clothing, particularly on her wedding dress, was used against her by her politically driven enemies. The dress was also considered scandalous due to its extravagance, adorned with white diamonds and large pannier hips.
Yes, Marie Antoinette had two wedding dresses. The first dress she wore to a wedding ceremony in her native Austria, where her brother, Archduke Ferdinand, served as a "proxy" groom for the Dauphin of France. The second dress was worn during her formal wedding ceremony at Versailles.
