Marie Antoinette and Axel Fersen

[Marie-Liesl]

I want to know more about relation of Marie Antoinette and Axel Fersen. Will somebody help me?

[Marie-Liesl]

There´s a short biography of Axel Fersen (how he met Marie Antoinette):

Axel Fersen was born 4. september 1755 in Stockholm, a son of count Frederick (or Friedrich) Axel Fersen and Hedwig Catherine de La Gardie. His father was one of the most influential men in Sweden.
Axel has a unforgetable face, especially for women. He has dark, velvet eyes with melancholic look, he was tall and slim, his shoulders were wide. But he was very restrained, silent and discreet.
In june 1770 15-years-old Axel with his tutor go to "great journey over the Europe".
19. november 1773 was Axel introduced to French royal family, including Marie Antoinette.

[Eddie_uk]

I think the book by Stanley Loomis the "Fatal Frienship" is a brilliant book which looks at the relationship between MA and Fersen.  

I don't believe they were lovers but very cose friends.

I think Fersen was probably in love with MA. He certainly never got over her death as his journal recounts.  

[Marie-Liesl]

I read one letter from Antoinette to Axel (if you want, I can send it here), but this letter is only uncensored letter. In 1877-78 Rudolph Moritz Klinckowstrom published censored letters of his uncle and French queen.
And did you hear about Eleonora Sullivan? Axel met she in America, after he left France and (I read) fell in love with she.

[Eddie_uk]

Yes I believe he was in love with Eleonora Sullivan and wanted her to leave her husband but she refused :-/. He later wrote that she could never replace Marie Antoinette in his heart .

It was a shame Rudolph Moritz Klinckowstrom censored the letters!

[Prince_Lieven]

They may have been in love, but not lovers in the physical sense, IMHO - as Antonia Fraser points out in 'the Journey', as Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette had no privacy whatsoever - there simply couldn't have been any secret trysts or anything of the kind! I also just can't see MA as an adulterous kind of woman.

[Marie-Liesl]

This is only uncensored letter, it wrote Marie-Antoinette to Axel 4. july 1791, after failed escape from France:

"I only can say that I love you... I´m all right, don´t worry of me, but I´d love to know how are you. Please, write me in cipher, my address can write your lord in waiting... And write me, to how person I must address my letters to you, because I can´t live without it. Goodbye, my bonniest and most loving man from all people. I hug you from all of my heart."

(I hope this is right translation of letter, because my English is not very good...)

[Prince_Lieven]

Thanks Marie-Liesl! Your English is wonderful!  

I think the first line of the letter confirms their feelings for each other!  

[Marie-Liesl]

There is picture of Axel Fersen:

http://www.marie--antoinette.de/Bilder/1_freunde.htm

[elena_maria_vidal]

Are those letters in the queen's handwriting?

[Marie-Liesl]

No, they are from Helga Thom´s book. I translated it from Slovak language (if you know this language). But I have another letters and extracts from Axel´s diary that I send there. Just a minute...

[Marie-Liesl]

...there they are (in my translation, not very good)

(27. December 1790, Axel Fersen to his sister Sophie)

"Finally, 24. I spent with her (queen) all day. It was my first day with her. You can imagine my pleasure. Only you know, what I felt..."

(28. June 1791, after failed escape from France, Marie Antoinette to Axel)

"I´m still alive... But I´m worrying of you... Please, don´t come. They knows, that you help us with our escape. If you come, everything will be lost. They keep us every day and night... Goodbye..."

(13. February 1792, from Axel Fersen´s diary)

"I went to queen. Along the usually route. I was afraid of National Guard. Her apartment was beatiful. I don´t see the king. I stayed there."

(Next day Axel met king and tried to talk with him about another plan to escape. But Louis XVI. refused and said: "All of the world left me." Then Axel take leave of Marie Antoinette. He never saw her again.)

(after execution of Louis XVI. Axel wrote to his diary)

"If I can do something for her rescue, I think, I suffer fewer than now. But do nothing and only praying, it´s terrible for me."

[lancashireladandre]

I think the book by Stanley Loomis the "Fatal Frienship" is a brilliant book which looks at the relationship between MA and Fersen.  

I don't believe they were lovers but very cose friends.

I think Fersen was probably in love with MA. He certainly never got over her death as his journal recounts.  

Eddie is right it is an excellent book on the Flight to Varennes and the doomed couples relationship.Fersen died an horrific death.

[elena_maria_vidal]

Yes, Count Fersen died a terrible death, torn to pieces by a mob. He died in the manner which Marie-Antoinette had so dreaded would happen to herself, almost as if in her place.

[Marie-Liesl]

I read that Axel Fersen was lathered to death. Is it true?