History's first influencer? Marie Antoinette still receives letters

Most of the letters addressed to Marie Antoinette  received by the Château de Fontainebleau  begin with the same honorific: "Your Majesty".

“Those who write to her play along wholeheartedly. They address her in a very formal and respectful manner,” said Sylvain Moulène, director of development and communications at the royal palace, some 60 kilometres southeast of Paris .

Since the launch of the initiative “To your pens! Write to Marie Antoinette” , the castle – which served as a residence for French monarchs for nearly eight centuries – has received over 4,000 letters.

“It’s been a wonderful success that has taken us by surprise,” said Moulène. “We didn’t expect so many letters, especially from all over the world.”

A re-enactment of a visit by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette to the Palace of Fontainebleau. © Marc Chaslin, Château de Fontainebleau

The year of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI

This campaign is part of the Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI theme year at Fontainebleau. Two hundred and forty years ago, the royal couple spent their final day at this iconic château. Between 1770 and 1786, they stayed there on 11 occasions.

“It was a country retreat the queen particularly loved. At the end of the 18th century, there was a real return to nature. The Château de Fontainebleau, close to the forest, allowed the queen to enjoy this. Court life there was also less formal than at Versailles ,” Moulène said.

To illustrate the monarchs’ special attachment to the site, exhibits, tours, shows and concerts have been planned throughout the year. The celebration's most original programme invites the public to write a letter directly to the queen. Whether from their own home or from a "boudoir" specially recreated for the occasion outside the castle shop, everyone is invited to write to French history's most famous monarch.

A reproduction of the décor from the Silver Boudoir, available at the gift shop at the Château de Fontainebleau as part of the "To your pens!" campaign. © Château de Fontainebleau

Cécile Berly , a historian specialised in the 18th century, came up with the idea for this dialogue across time.

“The Château de Fontainebleau asked me to come up with an idea to breathe new life into the history of this period and of Marie Antoinette,” she said. “I immediately thought that we needed to use the medium of the letter to encourage genuine engagement. It helps create a connection and sense of closeness with the queen.”

Over the past few months, Berly has run several writing workshops linked to this project, particularly in middle and high schools across the region. She found that more than two centuries after her death, Marie Antoinette still fascinates people.

"I could see from the students’ letters that they view her as an influencer. They are extremely struck by her modernity. They see her as a fashion icon who, had she lived in our time, would have played a key role on social media ,” said Berly who has written several books on Marie Antoinette. “It’s quite surprising, but they also often judge her and point out that she didn’t always behave very well.”

A print depicting Marie Antoinette by Louis-Jacques Cathelin. © Aurélien Boyé, Château de Fontainebleau

A cultural icon

Fashion victim, unfaithful wife, reckless spender, caring and modern mother, victim of the Revolution – the queen is no stranger to strong descriptors. Executed by guillotine  on October 16, 1793, a few months after her husband Louis XVI, she has always evoked strong feelings.

"Since her death, this figure has always been appropriated for good or ill," Moulène said. "During the Restoration in the 19th century, the royalists tried to claim her by promoting the image of a martyr. Conversely, during the Third Republic, the idea of a wicked queen was revived to legitimise the new regime."

Watch more What’s left of France’s revolutionary spirit?

Marie Antoinette became a cultural icon in the 20th century. Nearly 70 films have been made about her, most portraying her in a rather favourable light. The most notable recent film is Sofia Coppola’s 2006 production, which offered a kitsch take on the Austrian archduchess's arrival at Versailles at the age of 14.

“This film, with all its anachronisms, made her seem modern and contributed greatly to the globalisation of her image,” Moulène said.

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As proof, a great many letters sent to the former queen in recent months have come from the United States and Canada .

"Many foreigners have a kind of idolisation of her," said Berly. "For them, she represents so much in their lives; she acts as a confidante, a best friend and a role model. There is no longer any political depth, but rather a fascination with a historical figure who embodies an elegance and a destiny that is dizzying: born in Vienna as an archduchess, living much of her life amidst the splendour of Versailles, and ending her life bef…