This fascinating and poignant collection of letters between Marie Antoinette, the doomed dauphine and future Queen of France, and her mother, Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, provide a revealing portrait of the legendary queen's tragic life and the age in which she lived. Beginning in 1770 when the young princess departed for France and ending with Maria Theresa's death in 1780, these intimate letters reveal the hostility the young dauphine encountered at Versailles, her flouting of court etiquette and her interference in court politics. Maria Theresa offers her daughter constant advice on everything from matters of state to sex. These remarkable letters are presented by Olivier Bernier, a leading authority on eighteenth century France, along with extensive background information. -- From publisher's description.