Marie Antoinette, Joseph Krantzinger 1771
The Dauphine of France is actually not wearing a redingote, which came into style later in the Petit Trianon days. Rather she is clad in a justaucorps, the official hunting uniform at the Royal Residence of Trianon. Rumour has it that Marie Antoinette’s excitement at posing in men’s hunting livery exceeded her enthusiasm for riding itself.
Marie Antoinette had only been at Versailles 5 months before she asked her “grandfather-king” for riding lessons. Louis XV agreed, to the complete disbelief of just about everybody. The young Dauphine proved to be quite the horsewoman drawing comparisons to her Renaissance predecessor, Catherine de Medici.
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I hadn’t known that the Medici was a good horsewoman. Mon Dieu!
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Yeah, apparently she was the original “Riding Queen of France” (Doesn’t that just sound like the worst Spaghetti Western of all time?) She wore riding breeches underneath her skirts so she didn’t have to ride side-saddle, just like m@ did.
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thanks for the pingback!
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Ah, the love of horses and the hunt! A typical Habsburg trait, and one all royals have in common. When I think of Austria and the Habsburgs, I think of horses, Sachertorte, and Maria-Theresa.
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