Did Fashion Kill Marie Antoinette?

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

History Hit

Society, History, Education, Sex, Scandal

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2026

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Marie Antoinette went to her death as one of the most hated people in the world, but in recent years she has inspired millions with her style. How did she become such a contradiction?

For this episode, Kate and the Betwixt team went out and about, specifically to the V&A Museum in London. There, Kate met Dr Sarah Grant, curator of the exhibition 'Marie Antoinette Style', about the life of Marie Antoinette, just how much she spent on her clothes and jewelry, and how this may have led to her death.

This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Do you want even more shocking and scandalous history?
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0:12.5	where you can see me discover the scandalous side of history,
0:15.3	as well as hundreds of hours of original documentaries,
0:18.7	plus new releases every week, covering everything from prehistoric
0:22.8	Scotland to the Treaty of Versailles. Sign up to join me in locations around the world and explore
0:29.2	the past. Just visit history hit.com forward slash subscribe.
0:35.4	Hello, my lovely betwixters, it's me, Kate Lister, you are listening to Bertwetwetheed. Hello, how fabulous to see you once again. But before we can go any further, I do have to tell you, this is an adult podcast, welcome by adults to other adults, but adulty things and an adult way covering range of subjects, news to be an adult too. Feel safer? I certainly do. Right, let's crack on.
1:05.3	It's 6 a.m. on the 6th of October 1789, and we are in the Palace of Versailles.
1:11.3	The first light of the morning is beginning to reflect off the gold gilded furnishings, mirrors,
1:17.5	crystal chandeliers and the polished parquet floors. Any other morning at the palace would be silent except for the servants at the start of their day. They'd be set in the tables with the precious
1:22.6	china, opening beautiful, heavy curtains to views of morning mist over the gardens
1:27.8	and ready in fine clothes for the royal family.
1:31.5	But on the 6th of October, however, the guards are on high alert,
1:35.1	and with a crash, the Queen of France is awake.
1:38.2	A mob has breached the palace walls,
1:40.2	and the gilded age of monarchy in France is coming to an end. Well, hello and welcome back to Betwixt the Sheets, the history of sex, scandal and society with me, Kate Lister.
2:13.1	I am not at my computer today.
2:15.1	I am standing in the V&A Museum in London, surrounded by the most amazing dresses and jewels and slippers.
2:23.1	I'm here with the wonderful Sarah Grant, who is the creator of this exhibition, Marie Antoinette's style, and it has just blown my mind.
	...

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