This week I went out to the charming mini-village known as Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet.
You might know it as the place were the former French queen would “play at being a farmer” – but you would be WRONG!
Yes, according to the official Palace of Versailles website, the village was more of an escape for Marie Antoinette than a playground:
“Contrary to the deeply-entrenched public image of Marie-Antoinette, the queen and her entourage did not ‘play at being farmers’ amidst these bucolic surroundings, complete with sheep trussed up in ribbons,” the site reads.
“The queen actually used the hamlet as a place for relaxing walks, or to host small gatherings. The fact that the hamlet was also a functioning farm, a point upon which the queen insisted, meant that it served an educational role for the royal children.”
Anyway, I visited Versailles this week and recorded a little podcast episode about the experience.
You can listen here (subscribe for more of these podcasts) and scroll down for the pictures.
If you’re an Instagram kinda person, you’ll find my whole story about this place with videos right here.
Do you enjoy The Earful Tower? Become a member on Patreon and unlock a world of extras!
That’s it for now, have a lovely week!
Thank you for helping to set the record straight about Marie-Antoinette, Oliver! As usual, the truth is far more interesting than simplified, distorted myths 🙂 I love visiting this part of Versailles, thanks for highlighting it…
Sugar coat it all you like, but the facts are Marie Antoinette was by even her own mother’s account a spoiled, vain, self centered individual. If she wanted to educate the royal children, she could have helped the real farmers and real peasants of France.