Marie Antoinette cover art

Marie Antoinette

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Marie Antoinette

By: Antonia Fraser
Narrated by: Lindsay Duncan
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £12.20

Buy Now for £12.20

About this listen

 Marie Antoinette's dramatic life-story continues to arouse mixed emotions. To many people, she is still 'la reine mechante', whose extravagance and frivolity helped to bring down the French monarchy; her indifference to popular suffering epitomised by the (apocryphal) words: 'let them eat cake'. Others are equally passionate in her defence: to them, she is a victim of misogyny.

In this biography Antonia Fraser examines her influence over the king, Louis XVI; the accusations and sexual slurs made against her; her patronage of the arts, which enhanced French cultural life; her imprisonment; the death threats made against her; rumours of lesbian affairs; her trial (during which her young son was forced to testify to sexual abuse by his mother); and her eventual execution by guillotine in 1793.

©2009 Antonia Fraser (P)2009 Orion Publishing Group 18th Century Europe France Historical Modern Politics & Activism Royalty Middle Ages
All stars
Most relevant
I was very disappointed that Linsey Duncan only reads the unabridged version of this book, she is such a good narrator, it is a pleasure to listen to her.

Marie Antoinette the abridged version

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Lindsay Duncan is one of the best narrators on the planet. I have her reading Pride and Prejudice as well as this and she is genuinely incomparable, with a wonderful voice and the intonation is perfect. The biography is well written and captivating, although you do sometimes wonder where the basis lies for some of Fraser's conclusions. This is one of my all-time favourite audiobooks.

Brilliant narration and captivating narrative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.