Marie-Therese, Child of Terror

December 10, 2007
What was the fate of Marie-Thérèse (1778–1851) after the beheadings of her parents, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette of France? Nagel, professor of humanities at Marymount Manhattan College (Mistress of the Elgin Marbles
), relates the dramatic highs and lows experienced by the woman known as “Madame Royale.” Her uncle, the Austrian emperor, wanted her to marry his brother, when she escaped from the Temple Prison at age 17 after three hellish years. Instead, she endured a loveless and childless marriage to her Bourbon cousin the Duc d’Angoulême, but became the close political ally of their uncle, Louis XVIII, whom she joined in his peripatetic exile and saw in his triumphant return to France in 1814 as king. Marie Thérèse survived the 1830 abdication of her father-in-law, Charles X, and died in exile. Known for her kindness and wit, she also endured persistent rumors that she was not the “real” Marie-Thérèse and the constant threat of abduction and assassination. Nagel’s highly detailed and sympathetic account competently fills in historical gaps, but, unfortunately, is hampered by plodding prose. 16 pages of color illus; map.

Starred review from January 15, 2008
This is a fascinating, readable, and engrossing book that should interest general readers and scholars alike. Nagel (comparative literature, Marymount Manhattan Coll.; "Mistress of the Elgin Marbles"), known for her work in unraveling historical mysteries, tells the story of Marie-Antoinette's only surviving child. The first major biography of Marie-Thr]se, it details her very public birth, the horrific suffering she endured in prison during the revolution, and the personal and political roles she assumed following her release in 1795. Here the story of "Madame Royale" morphs into a mysterious one, because since the 19th century rumors have abounded of an identity swap that enabled the princess to live obscurely as a reclusive "Dark Countess" in a remote German castle. Nagel attempts to solve this intriguing puzzle, using archival sources, family letters, handwriting analysis, and the latest scientific tools with DNA evidence to piece together the true fate of a woman whom she sympathetically presents as a loyal daughter of France and an honorable symbol and representative of the Bourbon line. The skillful use of maps, chronological and genealogical charts, and historical narrative provides context for readers. Highly recommended.Marie Marmo Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2008
Most people who know about the sad end of Queen Marie Antoinette of France also know that she left behind a daugher and a son. The boy died as a result of appalling abuse at the hands of prison guards, but what became of the girl? Born in 1778, Marie-Th'r'se was just 17 when her release from three harrowing years of imprisonment was finally negotiated. Almost immediately, she became a powerful symbol and a political pawn. But Nagel shows her as having a mind of her own as she found refuge at the Austrian court; then she married her cousin and became part of the peripatetic French monarchy-in-exile. Finally, she helped to preside over the Restoration. Through it all she was an object of fascination, admired for her dignity and her steadfast devotion to the ideals of the ancien r'gime. The fascination persists even today in the legend of the Dark Countess, according to which the princess switched identities, and the woman the world knew as Marie-Th'r'se was an imposter. This highly detailed, exhaustively researched, often-riveting account will appeal especially to all those readers whove immersed themselves in the many recent books about Marie Antoinette.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)