Marie-Antoinette and Axel von Fersen

Too often in the many articles about Marie-Antoinette that have surfaced in the last year due to the Coppola film, Count Axel von Fersen is referred to as the "queen's lover" or as her "probable lover." It is repeatedly disregarded that there is not a scrap of reliable historical evidence that Count Fersen and Marie-Antoinette were anything but friends, and that he was as much her husband’s friend as he was hers. People are free to speak of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour as “lovers” since they openly lived together for many years. But to speak that way of Marie-Antoinette, who was known for her purity among her circle of close friends, of whom a courtier said: "Her soul was as white as her face," (Vincent Cronin's Louis and Antoinette) who lost her life because she chose to stay at her husband’s side, is the height of irresponsibility.

The Swedish nobleman was in the service of his sovereign King Gustavus III and Count Fersen’s presence at the French court needs to be seen in the light of that capacity. The Swedish King was a devoted friend of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette and Gustavus, even more than the queen’s Austrian relatives, worked to aid the King and Queen of France in their time of trouble. Fersen was the go-between in the various top secret plans to help Louis XVI regain control of his kingdom and escape from the clutches of his political enemies. The diplomatic intrigues that went on behind the scenes are more interesting than any imaginary romance. (The queen’s relationship with her husband is more interesting as well.) However, books and movies continue to add this sensationalism to the queen’s life, as if anything could be more sensational than the reality. Serious modern and contemporary scholars, however, such as Paul and Pierrette Girault de Coursac, Hilaire Belloc, Nesta Webster, Simone Bertiere, Philippe Delorme, Jean Chalon, Desmond Seward, and Simon Schama are unanimous in saying that there is no conclusive evidence to prove that Marie-Antoinette violated her marriage vows by dallying with Count Fersen.

The origins of the legend of Marie-Antoinette’s affair with Fersen began not with her revolutionary foes, who certainly would have picked up on anything of that nature to discredit the queen at her trial. Fersen’s name came up at the trial only in regard to the fact that he had driven the royal family’s coach out of Paris in June 1791 as they tried to escape. It was a courtier, the Comte de Saint-Priest, who made insinuations about the queen and Fersen in his memoirs, probably to cover the humiliation that Fersen had slept with Madame de Saint-Priest, his wife. Madame de la Tour du Pin, a former lady-in-waiting of the Queen, in her memoirs mentions that “the Count de Fersen, said to be queen Marie-Antoinette’s lover, also came to see us everyday.” She says this in a paragraph about her childhood where she is discussing the various men who, according to gossip, were “considered” to be in love with with her mother, Madame Dillon. So the Fersen affair is lumped in with what must be seen as idle rumors.

As Jean Chalon points out in his biography Chere Marie-Antoinette, Fersen, who had many mistresses, saw the queen as an angel, to whom he offered reverent and chaste homage. According to Chalon, Marie-Antoinette knew about sex only through conjugal love, where she found her “happiness,” her bonheur essentiel, as she wrote to her mother. If there had been any cause for concern about Count Fersen’s presence at the French court as regards the queen’s reputation, the Austrian ambassador Count Mercy-Argenteau would surely have mentioned it in one of the reams of letters to Marie-Antoinette’s mother Empress Maria Teresa, to whom he passed on every detail of the young queen’s life. Count Mercy had spies whom he paid well to gather information, but Fersen was not worth mentioning. Neither is he mentioned in a romantic way by other people close to the queen in their memoirs, such as her maid Madame Campan and the Baron de Besenval, a close family friend.

Elena wrote:Here is the cover:


Why is the furniture knocked over?

Here is some information about the author, Mrs. Gray. Apparently she is known for writing about the Marquis de Sade. Seriously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francine_du_Plessix_Gray

http://www.style.com/beauty/icon/051105ICON

She is a literary critic who won a Pulitzer prize.

Here is her review of Antonia Fraser's biography:

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/23/books/review/23GRAYTTw.html?pagewanted=all

Due to partiality towards my favourite Queen, Marie Antoinette, I have to admit that I was very reluctant to read this novel. I knew right off the bat that some things in this book would definitely rub me the wrong way…so let’s see how that turned out;)

Written as a memoir, Count Axel von Fersen’s story is presented to us as an edited version published by Sophie, his sister. Hence, there are passages and chapters interjected by Sophie’s account of what happened as well as those by Axel himself. The historical details are incredibly palpable bringing you a sense of actually being there.

Despite the title, I found The Queen’s Lover though to be mostly about the Queen’s life rather than about her alleged lover. Many of the events that occurred are true to the history as can be attested by similar written works already seen on Marie Antoinette. That being said, there are no big surprises here when it comes to Marie Antoinette’s story.

As for the Count’s extraordinary life, it seemed that it was mostly his flagrant sexual encounters that were rendered the most descriptive. His insatiable ravaging of almost any female he encountered rendered his adulterous affairs hard to comprehend the undying love he claimed for his queen…Go figure! In contrast, his great accomplishments read more like facts that happened as these were presented through many quotes and mostly letters to his father.

One thing that pleased me about this novel was that Axel was always portrayed as respectful and caring to both the Queen and Louis XVI. Throughout the book there is not one passage that tears down the character of these two royals. The immense respect and love is felt throughout. I also appreciated the fact that there were no vulgar descriptions or any graphics at all when mentioning the suggestive of Axel and the Queen’s more than friendly relationship (surprising considering the overly descriptive info with his other flings!).

This fact-filled memoir of Count Axel von Fersen’s chapter in Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI’s life is an interesting read.

Together, they discuss Saint Augustine’s “Confessions,” attend the opera, coo over their dogs, play backgammon. King Louis XVI, who is very fond of Axel, is his total opposite: hulking, gauche, sloppy — a loaf who eats voraciously, spilling crumbs and gravy onto his capacious chest. Clueless as to how to consummate his marriage for a full seven years, young Louis is the object of considerable ridicule. But the king whom Axel comes to know is warm, kind, fiercely intelligent and, when his children are finally born, deeply in love with his wife.

All the same, the royals are hardly a cozy family. The court that du Plessix Gray brings to life is filled with intrigue and concupiscence. For all its gilded grandeur, Versailles is a filthy, toxic place: infested with rats, choked with human stench, soiled by beggars and prostitutes who relieve themselves in corners of the grand galleries. No wonder the courtiers are so addicted to smelling salts. Little wonder the queen is beguiled by a fastidious Swede.