Austrian-French monarch Marie Antoinette was BOTD in 1755. Born in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, she was the youngest daughter of Maria Theresa, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. At 14, she was despatched to France to marry the Dauphin Louis-Auguste, as part of a political alliance between the Austrian and French governments. She moved to the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, and was crowned Queen of France in 1759, following the death of King Louis XV. Her first seven years at court were volatile, due to her ongoing childlessness, leading to rumours that she was a witch or an Austrian spy. After some basic instruction in sex education, she and Louis eventually had four children, though her eldest son Louis Joseph died in infancy. She attracted the title “Madame Déficit” for her lavish spending, and was the subject of recurring rumours of infidelities, including lesbian relationships with her friends the Princess de Lamballe and the Duchess of Polignac. Her reputation was severely damaged in 1785, when she was falsely accused of involvement in the fraudulent sale of a diamond necklace. Increasingly unhappy at court, she spent considerable time at her retreat the Petit Trianon, commissioning the construction of Le Hameau, a farmhouse where she and her friends read Rousseau and drank cow’s milk from hand-painted Sèvres porcelain. She is thought to have been the lover of Swedish diplomat Count Axel von Fersen, though biographers and historians continue to debate the exact nature of their relationship. As social unrest increased, the Royal family unsuccessfully tried to escape France, but were captured, arrested and transported to Paris. In 1792, the monarchy was abolished, and she and Louis were separately tried for treason. She was executed by guillotine in 1973, aged 37. At one time the most hated woman in France, her reputation has since been rehabilitated, notably in Antonia Fraser’s 2014 biography. She has been portrayed many times onscreen, notably by Norma Shearer, Jane Seymour, Kirsten Dunst and Diane Kruger. Her love of jewellery and tragic ending has been a source of inspiration to fashion designers including Erté, Jeanne Lanvin, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Manolo Blahnik and many aspiring queens.