A Royal Destiny
This gold pendant, with a spider locked in amber, is unique. Once owned by Marie-Antoinette, it is now part of France’s national heritage.
Formed from a piece of amber enclosing a spider, mounted in gold and measuring 35 millimeters in length, the pendant dates from the early eighteenth century. It was given to Marie-Antoinette in 1770 by her mother, Maria Theresa of Austria, for luck when the young girl left for Versailles to become Dauphine of France. As queen, Marie-Antoinette wore the pendant often then, as revolution stirred, constantly. It was the only item of jewelry that she was allowed to have with her in her prison cell. When the Duchess of Tourzel, governess of the Children of France and loyal to the queen, was able to escape incarceration, Marie-Antoinette gifted her the pendant, and so it has survived to this day. Part of the private collection held at Château d’Ainay-le-Vieil, whose owners are the descendants of the Duchess of Tourzel, this historic treasure was last shown in public in 1955 for an exhibition, “Marie-Antoinette, Archduchess, Dauphine and Queen”, at Château de Versailles. It can now be seen during guided tours of Château d’Ainay-le-Vieil*. /public-objects/a25af637-8912-43ae-9ce4-93aa9680599a-e92890d7-1e17-4240-a56e-7646b68faebb-Sans%20titre-1.webp Image sélectionnée *Château d’Ainay-le-Vieil is a stately home in the Cher region of France. It is open to the public between April and September. - chateau-ainaylevieil.fr