From Publisher's weekly: What was the fate of Marie-Thérèse (1778–1851) after the beheadings of her parents, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette of France? Nagel, professor of humanities at Marymount Manhattan College, relates the dramatic highs and lows experienced by the woman known as Madame Royale. Her uncle, the Austrian emperor, wanted her to marry his brother, when she escaped from the Temple Prison at age 17 after three hellish years. Instead, she endured a loveless and childless marriage to her Bourbon cousin the Duc d'Angoulême, but became the close political ally of their uncle, Louis XVIII, whom she joined in his peripatetic exile and saw in his triumphant return to France in 1814 as king. Marie Thérèse survived the 1830 abdication of her father-in-law, Charles X, and died in exile. Known for her kindness and wit, she also endured persistent rumors that she was not the real Marie-Thérèse and the constant threat of abduction and assassination.
To be very honest, with all of the French history I've read, it never came to mind to wonder what happened to this particular child of King Louis and Marie Antoinette. In fact, I thought all of their children died. So I was quite happy to read this book and find that it was not so. The above review from Publisher's Weekly called the prose plodding. I completely disagree.
In that there is so much back and side stories going on, I felt Ms. Nagel did a superlative job at tying all the pieces together. Her accounting of the horrific time spent in the prison by Louis Charles and Marie Therese made me want to cry for these long people of history. Marie Therese steadfastness in trying to have the Bourbon lineage reinstated to the throne was inspiring. If you enjoy history, and in particular French history, do pick this book up.
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