Qu’ils mangent de la brioche. “Let them eat cake!” (disputed)
Marie-Antoinette
Orion's Cold Fire
All the Secrets of the Universe and Some Really Important Stuff Too!
All the Secrets of the Universe and Some Really Important Stuff Too!
Qu’ils mangent de la brioche. “Let them eat cake!” (disputed)
Marie-Antoinette
There is absolutely no historical evidence that Marie-Antoinette ever said “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” or anything like it. So where did the quote come from, and how did it become associated with Marie-Antoinette? Folklore scholars have found similar tales in other parts of the world, although the details differ from one version to another. In a tale collected in 16th-century Germany, for instance, a noblewoman wonders why the hungry poor don’t simply eat Krosem (a sweet bread). Essentially, stories of rulers or aristocrats oblivious to their privileges are popular and widespread legends. The first person to put the specific phrase “Qu’ils mangent… Read more »
While going over the quotes attributed to Marie Antoinette I was touched to read that her last words were an apology to the executioner when she accidentally trod on his foot on the way to the guillotine. She was probably a very nice woman.