Marie Antoinette : The Journey

Antonia Fraser's book delves into the life of Marie Antoinette, exploring the mixed emotions that continue to surround her. To some, she remains the "wicked queen" whose extravagant lifestyle and perceived indifference to the suffering of the French people contributed to the downfall of the monarchy, often epitomized by the phrase "let them eat cake." Others defend her as a victim of misogyny.

The book examines Marie Antoinette's influence over her husband, King Louis XVI, the accusations and sexual slurs directed at her, her support for the arts and her role in enhancing French cultural life, her imprisonment, the death threats she received, her trial (which even involved her young son testifying to sexual abuse allegations against her), and her eventual execution by guillotine in 1793.