Madame Royale

Daughter of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, Dauphine of France, Duchess of Angoulême, Queen of France... for twenty minutes but still (and OOC blog by @mathildeaquisexta, feel free to interact !)

[templesorphan]

Son Altesse Royale, la princesse Marie-Thérèse de France

Visitor, stranger, friend, enemy... Whoever you may be, I am pleased to welcome you to this blog. My mastery of this strange technology is not yet perfect, but this occupation is quite amusing. Furthermore, it is very efficient in taking my mind off its melancholy and unpleasant memories.

My name is Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, but you may know me as "Madame Royale". My ancestors are the noble Bourbon family. My father is the unfortunate King Louis XVI and my mother Queen Marie-Antoinette of Austria.

You may know me from those novels and theatre plays telling the story of my survival from the revolutionary turmoil. These works depict me as one of those Antique heroes or as the standard-bearer of the absolute monarchy, but they forgot to tell who I really am or what I have experienced. I hope you won't be disappointed of getting to know me better, I'm just a girl with trauma.

I did everything I could to inspire the people of Europe with the courage and determination to revolt against the Republic, thinking vengeance was the right thing to do. My life has been a succession of sadnesses and misfortunes. I hope this afterlife will be kinder and more merciful.

((Hi, the creator speaking here ! This account is run by @mathildeaquisexta, only for entertainment purposes. I roleplay in English and in French. My political opinions are not those of the characters I rp))

[templesorphan]

You must hate me. As for me, I will always be an enemy of the system you defend. But today, I write to you as an angry father.I received a letter from my son, Emile, who has been sentenced to deportation by your uncle’s government for the simple reason that he was a patriot.You may not hold power, but I know you approve of this persecution unfolding before your eyes.

Gracchus Babeuf @tribunbabeuf

Monsieur Babeuf,

Do you write to me because you find it easier to blame the woman who has no power over these decisions, than to muster the courage to confront my uncle? How am I supposed to find anything worthy of greatness and respect in you and have the slightest desire in defending your case if you stoop to such methods?

Before making accusations you may well regret, you should know that my family rules justly and impartially. If your son has nothing to reproach himself for, he will be released. If not, he may still have a chance to repent for his crime, whatever it may be, while serving his sentence.

The “patriots” as you call them have done immeasurable harm to France. It had to end.

Pray, monsieur. If you really love your son, pray that he finds the right path and doesn't break your heart for eternity to follow an unreasonable folly.

La duchesse d'Angoulême.

[suckledroyalty]

man.

[the-widow-marat]

Man.

[templesorphan]

Man.

[vivelareine]

He wept for sorrow over us, and not from fear of death.

–Marie-Thérèse Charlotte de France, on her father’s final meeting with his family.

[louis-antoine-xix]

Louis Antoine de Bourbon, Duc d'Angoulême, dernier Dauphin de France

Good evening to you all. I have decided to also take up this- internet, I'm quite sure it's called, which my wife kindly showed me. I must deeply apologize for my clumsiness with this...oddity, any help, if it isn't too much trouble, would be much appreciated.

I am Louis Antoine, the Duke of Angoulême and the son of Charles X, nephew of Louis XVI and Louis XVIII (may they rest peacefully). I suppose I am also the last Dauphin of France now? I heard there's a book where they mentioned me as the shortest reigning king, Guinea- Guiness World Records. My wife is the lovely Marie-Thérèse, who you all surely know.

My life has been one of disappointment after disappointment, but you mustn't mourn for me, infact, do not worry about me at all. I do my duty as I must.

Ah- I must go now, I hope I might find some amusement on this application, and I hope I may not stumble upon any Bonapartists.

Louis Antoine

[templesorphan]

"Welcome to this strange "app", dear sweet husband. I pray this afterlife will bring you the rest you deserve, and perhaps a few moments of happiness. My heart feels lighter now that I have you by my side."

The princess still finds it hard to express her affection, especially in public where modesty is the rule. It is even harder to let go of the usual severity that creases her facial features and makes her look older. Her smile remains light and doesn't reach her eyes, but her hand discreetly wraps around his and clasps him lightly, just enough to signify her presence, her support, her love.

[psycheswrathsposts]

Marie Thérèse Charlotte in prayer for her family

[leroichevalier]

→ In July 1795, as soon as word got out that Marie Thérèse had been seen walking into the Temple prison’s garden, many came to catch a glimpse of the Princess who had been locked for over three years. In that time, she had changed from an adolescent girl of thirteen to a young woman of nearly seventeen of age. On August 17, the Gazette de France reported that Marie Thérèse still did not know of the fate of her mother, brother and aunt. In the later part of August, Madame de Chanterenne broke the news to Marie Thérèse. One by one, as she told the girl that each member of her family was dead, Marie Thérèse emitted sobs of anguish and pain.

In early September, the Committee at last allowed Madame de Tourzel, Pauline and Madame Mackau to visit the Princess in prison. […] She showed them the room in which her brother had died. Pauline was impressed by how strong Marie Thérèse remained throughout and thought the girl resembled all three her parents - the King, the Queen, and her ‘second mother’, Madame Elisabeth. Marie Thérèse revealed to her old friends that she had scribbled on her cell wall:

“I am the unhappiest of creatures. She can obtain no news of her Mother, nor be reunited to her, thought she has asked it a thousand times. Live, my good mother! Whom I love well, but whom I can hear no tidings. O, my Father, watch over me from Heaven above. O, my God! Forgive those who have made my family die.”

On the wall of her late brother’s empty room, the women saw that he had written in charcoal an unfinished message to his mother which read, ‘Maman, je vous pr…’ “Mommy, I beg you? I promise you?”. On another wall, he had drawn a flower.

- Marie Thérèse, the fate of Marie Antoinette’s daughter, Susan Nagel

Clips: Child Marie Thérèse from Marie Antoinette (2006), Teen Marie Thérèse from l’Evasion de Louis XVI (2009), and Fancast for adult Marie Thérèse: Dakota Fanning in Effie Gray.

[templesorphan]

I won’t be talking abo͘ut yǫur r̺ole in m͚y death, because, well. You said it yourself̛ - you did̎n’͂ţ ev́en kn̈ow who y̑ou were tal͝king about̯. B̓ut͓ I will never forg͍iv̡e y̛o̫u thè wͬay y̚ou treateͫd̃ myͫ wife̠. You h̠ad been throu͠gh hell, I’m aware of̺̾ that and͌ I know you were punished f̌or being born͠ in the wron̅g fami̊ly. Ye͊t yͯou réturned, demanding resp̢ect as your birthrigh̋t?

Ne͘y

Marie-Thérèse felt a shiver of terror run through her at the sound of that voice, grating like a cemetery door and inhumanly deep, even before she recognised the timbre. Turning around to see who she was dealing with, a vision straight out of the depths of Hell awaited her. This creature had the face of Marshal Ney, but at the same time it was not the man whose face she had seen the portrait when he was alive. Everything about him was different and seemed infinitely more dangerous. He was red as a demon, his anger oozing at the point of covering the emptiness that surrounded them.

"My God, what has become of you..."

She remembered very well her meeting with Agalé, whom she had known for a long time because her mother had been Marie Antoinette's lady-in-waiting. This brave lady had come to ask for her help on the eve of her husband's execution, in complete despair, having tried everything, but to no avail. It was only much later, when she heard the testimony of the Maréchal de Ségur's son, that Marie-Thérèse realised the extent of what had been committed.

"Monsieur, I'm not asking for your forgiveness. As for me, I don't think I have enough mercy in my heart to forgive you for betraying my uncle and taking him for a fool when he needed your support the most."

She lifted her chin, holding his gaze, maintaining a calm, dignified stance in front of him.

"What is done cannot be undone. What use would my voice have been? Your friends and family moved heaven and earth to save your life and instead of going into exile when you still had the chance like they wisely suggested, you chose to stay and die. By the time Agalé came to me, it was already too late and all of us knew it."

She took a step closer.

"What exactly do you want from me? An apology? To take revenge?  Torment me if it makes you feel better.  I will pray for the salvation of your soul even if I can see from your appearance that you are already lost."

[le-brave-des-braves]

Nᴇʏ: Alͣl thi̛s preten̷ce̷ an͞d big wor̥ds̈ of Hèaven, Hell, treason, a͆ll the stuff̸ yo͇u hͨave̙ bee̍n͇ fed with dͅuring your lĭfetimé. Of course. Yoͫ͘u̚̕ will soon learn that thin͟gs͞ are n͝ot as s͋͝imple as your loyȧl f̧at priests dresseͬd in golde̲n gǫwn͐s say. Tͯhe deat͞hͅ is notͮ as̭͠ simpleͭ as your views are, Pͮrincess. Believe͢ me,ͩ th̛at I m͕ight se̗ěm l̸ost͜, but thͯat is rather s͘implifi͜ed. Th̷er̋͞e is a reflẻc͠tio͠n of̏ me̯ that possesses godl̴y powers. I shall merͥge̍ with it and then,͠ I̽ swear you w͐ill get what you҉ deser҉ve for not add͝ressing m̳y̛ wife prop̷erͦly and t͌́ͅheñ turning your back on her, not̠ e͆ven botheri͢ng to think about what ýou w̮ͭere d̪oin̜g.̋ You͋r u̶ncl̾e betrayed his cou̹ntry first by neglecti̞ng the̕ me҉ń who fought fir it, and so did yo̯u.

[templesorphan]

"I fear only God, Monsieur. I am not afraid of your invective or your threats. We are already dead, aren't we ? We cannot bleed anymore. There is no suffering we can inflict on each other that we haven't already experienced in our lifetime. You claim that this world is far more complex than the Christian definition of right and wrong and yet here you are, asserting yourself as sort of divine justice ready to descend upon me. You are full of the sin of pride."

She remembered the looks of sadness and disappointment Aglaé gave her every time they met in the Tuileries and Marie-Thérèse greeted her. But in her opinion, friendship and money were not enough to make a woman a true noble.

"Aglaé was my childhood friend, and someone I held in high esteem. But if she had a title of nobility, it was because her Emperor was a usurper and her husband a parvenu, albeit from military glory. And if I gave in to your whim and called her Princess de la Moskowa, I was recognising the legitimacy of your Napoleon and of this nobility of Empire that he had created. Which I cannot."

Louis XVIII was a king whom she had often considered too weak, too conciliatory with the enemies of the Crown, and against whom she had sometimes voiced her opposition. But he was her uncle, a member of her closest family, and she could not tolerate such a direct insult to him from outside their clan, even if it contained a grain of truth. She gave Ney a stern look.

"You insulted my name and my honour. You have said words you can't take back anymore."

[templesorphan]

cats or dogs

"I would say cats.

My mother had six delightful Turkish Angora cats, which my father hated because one of them scratched him. She entrusted them to the care of an English captain, Samuel Clough of Wiscasset, who sailed them to the United States. It is said that by mixing with wild cats, our royal kitties accidently created the Main Coon breed."

[templesorphan]

favourite

ice

cream

flavour

"Lavender

and

honey."

[templesorphan]

DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING

SINGING THE SONG OF ANGRY MEN

She stares into the void in confusion.

"The only person I hear is you. Please do not shout like that, it is very impolite. Who are the people singing and why are the men angry? What is happening?"

[templesorphan]

who r u

"I'm the only man in my family according to Napoléon."

[templesorphan]

I won’t be talking abo͘ut yǫur r̺ole in m͚y death, because, well. You said it yourself̛ - you did̎n’͂ţ ev́en kn̈ow who y̑ou were tal͝king about̯. B̓ut͓ I will never forg͍iv̡e y̛o̫u thè wͬay y̚ou treateͫd̃ myͫ wife̠. You h̠ad been throu͠gh hell, I’m aware of̺̾ that and͌ I know you were punished f̌or being born͠ in the wron̅g fami̊ly. Ye͊t yͯou réturned, demanding resp̢ect as your birthrigh̋t?

Ne͘y

Marie-Thérèse felt a shiver of terror run through her at the sound of that voice, grating like a cemetery door and inhumanly deep, even before she recognised the timbre. Turning around to see who she was dealing with, a vision straight out of the depths of Hell awaited her. This creature had the face of Marshal Ney, but at the same time it was not the man whose face she had seen the portrait when he was alive. Everything about him was different and seemed infinitely more dangerous. He was red as a demon, his anger oozing at the point of covering the emptiness that surrounded them.

"My God, what has become of you..."

She remembered very well her meeting with Agalé, whom she had known for a long time because her mother had been Marie Antoinette's lady-in-waiting. This brave lady had come to ask for her help on the eve of her husband's execution, in complete despair, having tried everything, but to no avail. It was only much later, when she heard the testimony of the Maréchal de Ségur's son, that Marie-Thérèse realised the extent of what had been committed.

"Monsieur, I'm not asking for your forgiveness. As for me, I don't think I have enough mercy in my heart to forgive you for betraying my uncle and taking him for a fool when he needed your support the most."

She lifted her chin, holding his gaze, maintaining a calm, dignified stance in front of him.

"What is done cannot be undone. What use would my voice have been? Your friends and family moved heaven and earth to save your life and instead of going into exile when you still had the chance like they wisely suggested, you chose to stay and die. By the time Agalé came to me, it was already too late and all of us knew it."

She took a step closer.

"What exactly do you want from me? An apology? To take revenge?  Torment me if it makes you feel better.  I will pray for the salvation of your soul even if I can see from your appearance that you are already lost."