Tragic French queen appears at opening ceremony of Paris 2024 Olympics

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies featured a callback to a tragic French queen. 

The Opening Ceremonies in Paris are ground breaking, as it is the first time that the ceremonies have been held outside of a stadium. There was a boat parade carrying the athletes down the Seine River, while performers were along the banks of the Seine. 

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The show was divided into twelve tableaux and one, the Liberté tableau, referenced one of the most tragic figures in French history, Queen Marie Antoinette.

Performers in the windows of buildings along the Seine River were dressed in bright scarlet robes à la française, holding heads in the hands, referencing Marie Antoinette’s beheading in 1793 at the Place de la Concorde. 

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The queen known to history as Marie Antoinette had a dramatic life that saw her leave her home country while still young.

Maria Antonia was born to the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis I, and his wife, Maria Theresa. She was chosen to marry the heir to the French throne; they would become King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.

This is not the only reference to the last Queen of France at the games, as the Palace of Versailles is playing host to several equestrian events during the games. The five modern pentathlon events are also taking place at Versailles later during the Olympics. 

The Olympic torch relay also passed through the Palace of Versailles, the opulent home forever associated with Marie Antoinette.