Most of the letters addressed to Marie Antoinette received by the Château de Fontainebleau begin with the same honorific: "Your Majesty". “Those who write to her play along wholeheartedly. They address her in a very formal and respectful manner,” said Sylvain Moulène, director of development and communications at the royal palace, some 60 kilometres southeast of Paris. Since the launch of the initiative “To your pens! Write to Marie Antoinette”, the castle – which served as a residence for French monarchs for nearly eight centuries – has received over 4,000 letters. “It’s been a wonderful success that has taken us by surprise,” said Moulène. “We didn’t expect so many letters, especially from all over the world.”
A re-enactment of a visit by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette to the Palace of Fontainebleau. © Marc Chaslin, Château de Fontainebleau
The year of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI This campaign is part of the Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI theme year at Fontainebleau. Two hundred and forty years ago, the royal couple spent their final day at this iconic château. Between 1770 and 1786, they stayed there on 11 occasions. “It was a country retreat the queen particularly loved. At the end of the 18th century, there was a real return to nature. The Château de Fontainebleau, close to the forest, allowed the queen to enjoy this. Court life there was also less formal than at Versailles,” Moulène said. To illustrate the monarchs’ special attachment to the site, exhibits, tours, shows and concerts have been planned throughout the year. The celebration's most original programme invites the public to write a letter directly to the queen. Whether from their own home or from a "boudoir" specially recreated for the occasion outside the castle shop, everyone is invited to write to French history's most famous monarch.
