Marie Antoinette and Louis prove to be compassionate and capable rulers with modern ideas about rewarding talent over inherited privilege. But enemies are everywhere.
Marie Antoinette's dangerous sexual affair with Fersen reignites when they are cast in "The Marriage of Figaro." However, the production turns out to be a calculated plot, orchestrated by the Palais-Royal, to challenge Louis's authority.
When Marie Antoinette takes steps to protect herself and her unborn child from Provence, she unwittingly fuels the perception of her extravagance while Paris starves. For the first time, the people openly protest against her.
Marie Antoinette overhauls her image, and the King and Queen each find happiness when they experience a taste of "ordinary" life. However, her efforts to present herself as a sensible mother and regal Queen are doomed by a looming scandal.
When Marie Antoinette is implicated in the diamond necklace theft, she is determined to prove her innocence and punish those responsible. Blinded by her desire to defend herself, she and Louis fail to see the dangers of a public trial.
When Rohan and Jeanne are brought to public trial, events spiral beyond Marie Antoinette and Louis' control. In defending her reputation, Marie Antoinette unwittingly destroys it and delivers a fatal blow to Louis's political authority.
Marie Antoinette deals with grief after the death of her daughter and faces extortion over her stolen love letters to Fersen. Political turmoil, a struggling economy, and Provence's personal attacks push Louis toward a nervous breakdown.
