Everything to Remember Before Season 2 of 'Marie Antoinette'

Marie Antoinette sought to paint the much-maligned monarch in a new light – as a likeable, sympathetic figure that history has marred through a misogynistic lens. Far from the poster child for excess and out-of-touch aristocracy, we meet Antoinette (Emilia Schüle) when she is just a teenager. At fourteen years old, the historical queen is sent from Austria to France to marry Louis XVI (Louis Cunningham); she is naïve, sweet, headstrong, and a bit rebellious. 

Season 1 sees Antoinette struggle to fit in, to shake anti-Austrian sentiment, to conform to French etiquette, but most of all, to get her new husband to interact with her. This is absolutely crucial, as Antoinette’s primary duty is to produce an heir and solidify the Franco-Austrian alliance – something she can’t do if Louis won’t even speak to her, let alone share their marital bed.

The nearly mute Louis is beyond shy and so socially inept that at first I wondered if they were suggesting he was on the spectrum. He is paralyzingly insecure; historically, his parents favored his brother who died, so this inferiority complex tracks. Louis’ arc over the season is to transform from the silent and bullied dauphin to a decisive and confident king, mainly because of his relationship with the queen.

In the first half of the season Antoinette finds a rival in Madame du Barry (Gaia Weiss), mistress to King Louis XV (James Purefoy), who still rules France when Antoinette joins the royal family. Du Barry is in a precarious position; as the king’s favourite, but not his spouse, she has power and status only while Louis XV reigns. At first, the two women are friendly, with du Barry acting as a confidante and marital mentor. But Antoinette is shaken upon learning du Barry was once (and kinda still is?) a prostitute and feels like du Barry was taking advantage of her unworldliness. 

The king approves, but Antoinette’s reputation with the king’s daughters Adelaide (Crystal Shepherd-Cross) and Victoire (Caroline Piette) and her husband’s brother, Provence (Jack Archer), is in the proverbial toilet. There is no pleasing those three who all want the throne, resent her position, and suspect her Austrian loyalties, but Antoinette will continue to try.

Antoinette and Louis are thrust into the role of king and queen upon Louis’ grandfather’s death from smallpox. Though Louis XV had proposed to her, he never married Du Barry, who was exiled to a convent by order of the new queen. Antoinette and Louis continue to have trouble consummating their marriage. It will be seven years before they have successful relations; upon learning that the rocky relationship is headed for divorce and the consequences for Austria, the empress (Marthe Keller) sends Antoinette’s brother Joseph (Jonas Bloquet) to sort things out. The queen’s suave older brother is a master politician, charming the royal family and acting as Antoinette and Louis’ marriage counselor, all the while angling for France’s support with Austria’s military ambitions in Bavaria.

Meanwhile, Louis’ intensely jealous brother Provence, the spare rather than the heir, marries Josephine (Roxane Duran). The snotty Provence is angry, insulted that Josephine is not a classic beauty, and he refuses to impregnate her. However, to upset the king and queen and remind them of their inability to produce an heir, the two concoct a plot to pretend that Josephine is pregnant, complete with a fake miscarriage. Louis discovers this through his personal spy, Beaumarchais (Philippe Tlokinski), and is rightfully suspicious of his brother’s ability to be duplicitous. 

Josephine, who hates Antoinette, also spreads rumors about the queen through anonymous notes to the royal court, attacking her lifestyle and friends. After Antoinette finally becomes pregnant, Josephine distributes a scandalous “libelle” – a printed flier with a lewd drawing of the queen, calling the paternity of her unborn child into question.

The king’s cousin Chartres (Oscar Lesage) becomes Antoinette's close friend and is named in the libelle. The two are not having an affair but seem to have feelings for each other. Later, however, Chartres shows himself a rake when he tries to force himself on Antoinette after she rejects his advances. Antoinette doesn’t tell Louis about it, but Chartres gets banned from Versailles anyway when his military character is questioned after a key naval battle against the British.

The queen’s closest friend, the Princess de Lamballe (Jasmine Blackborow), gets mercilessly shoved aside despite showing Antoinette nothing but loyalty and love since the moment they met. Practically shunning Lamballe, the queen becomes enamored by Yolande (Liah O'Prey), a countess who lives openly in a throuple and who is also being secretly paid to spy on her by Maurepas (Paul Bandey), the king’s advisor. Maurepas wants to keep an eye on the queen as a way of keeping tabs on Austria, and uses the intel as leverage during the period when he negotiates the almost-divorce of Antoinette and Louis.

Antoinette gives birth to her first child, a girl. She and Louis are thrilled, but this of course is technically a failure – Antoinette has not performed her “duty” to Austria since there is still no male heir. The couple’s relationship, which has blossomed into something sweet and strong, is suddenly threatened again when Antoinette develops feelings for Swedish count Axel von Fersen (Martijn Lakemeier). 

They share a passionate few kisses but decide not to go further. Louis suspects something between them and sends von Fersen away to fight in America for the Revolutionary War, which Louis has decided to support.

Despite a lack of experience at war, Louis is well-read and takes direction and advice from Maurepas, ultimately leading France to a naval win against Britain. In their court victory lap, the king and queen stroll through with Antoinette wearing the fascinator to end all fascinators – a giant ship stuck artfully and defiantly into her hair.

As the season ends, Maurepas dies, and the queen’s mother, the Austrian empress, also dies. Antoinette becomes pregnant a second time, and just as quickly, gives birth to the long-awaited male heir, the dauphin. The final shot shows the royal family unit: Louis holds his daughter, and Antoinette holds their newborn son. Considering what lies ahead for them historically, it’s a nice moment of strength and positivity.

There’s a lot of history and politics to get to before the king and queen are delivered their ultimate fate, which will be explored in the second season.

Marie Antoinette Season 2 will premiere on most local PBS stations, the PBS App, and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel on Sunday, March 23, 2025, at 10 p.m. ET, directly following the finale of Lucy Worsely Investigates Season 2 at 8 p.m. and the debut of Wolf Hall: The Mirror & The Light at 9 p.m. ET. All eight episodes of the new series will be available on PBS Passport for members to stream starting on premiere day. Season 1 is available to stream for members on PBS Passport and on the Prime Video Masterpiece Channel.