The Symbolic Transformation

The climax of Marie Antoinette's transformation from Austrian archduchess to French dauphine occurred on May 7, 1770, on an island in the Rhine near Kehl. Here, in a specially constructed pavilion, the formal "remise" ceremony took place. This ritual handover was choreographed to the smallest detail, symbolizing not just a change of nationality but a complete rebirth.

The pavilion itself was a marvel of diplomatic architecture. Built precisely on the border, it had two identical entrances—one facing Austria, one facing France. Marie Antoinette entered from the Austrian side in her Habsburg finery, accompanied by her Austrian retinue. In a private chamber, she was completely undressed by her Austrian ladies, removing every item of clothing and jewelry from her homeland. French attendants then dressed her in French garments from the skin outward, even replacing her stockings and shoes.

Madame de Noailles, who would become Marie Antoinette's chief lady-in-waiting and tormentor in matters of etiquette, supervised the French side of this transformation. Her memoirs, written decades later, reveal the calculating nature of the ceremony. Every gesture was designed to emphasize that the new dauphine belonged entirely to France, with no divided loyalties. Even Marie Antoinette's pet dog, a gift from Maria Theresa, was sent back to Austria.

The common people who gathered on both banks of the Rhine saw the spectacle differently. A German merchant named Friedrich Bauer wrote to his wife about the strange sight of Austrian servants weeping as they returned eastward while French courtiers celebrated their new princess. He noted the waste of building an elaborate pavilion for a single ceremony while peasants in nearby villages struggled with poor harvests.