In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters

Author: Nancy Goldstone

Rating: ⭐ 3/5

Date Read: 2025/02/21

Pages: 640

This was a well written, and exceptionally fun, historical account of Maria Theresa and three of her daughters.

I wanted to give it four stars, but I can’t. That’s because Nancy Goldstone asserts that two of Marie Antoinette’s children were sired by Count Axel von Fersen as historical fact. However, this is speculation, and feels academically dishonest.

Now I’m not a (an?) historian, but I’ve never seen definitive evidence that Louis Charles and Sophie were fathered by Fersen. As far as I can tell, the only “source” for this assertion is a poorly-received work of popular history by Evelyn Farr. Even Marie Antoinette’s affair with Fersen is speculative. Given his status at court and the surviving correspondence between him and the Queen, it does seem likely that they were involved romantically, but the evidence isn’t definitive.

Anyway, as a casual reader I don’t mind Goldstone editorializing in the footnotes. But I find baseless claims to be intellectually unethical. And I think it’s particularly important to combat misinformation during these obnoxiously interesting times in which we live.

To end on a high note, Maria Carolina is one of the most interesting historical figures I never learned about in school.