Secret Diary
My first novel, The Secret Diary of a Princess is a fictionalised account of the early years of Marie Antoinette’s life when she was the youngest and least important of the daughters of the all powerful Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The book follows her privileged childhood and adolescence in the beautiful palaces of Vienna and the long journey that brought her to Versailles and her marriage to the Dauphin Louis of France.
Excerpt:
‘As soon as the introductions were over, the King took my hand and led me to the Dauphin, who I had barely noticed since entering the room. He seemed to be trying his best to hide from view and looked uncomfortable and ill at ease in his suit of white satin, sewn all over with diamonds and gold embroidery and I noticed with irritation that he was scratching at his neck underneath the fine white linen of his shirt collar, leaving red scratch marks beneath his powdered wig.
‘Are you ready?’ the King asked as he gave my hand to the Dauphin. ‘All of Versailles awaits you.’
I nodded, feeling the Dauphin’s hand grow hot and clammy against my own. ‘I am ready.’
The King nodded to the waiting footmen and they instantly flung open the huge doors that led to the Hall of Mirrors. The Dauphin led me out and the King, royal family and our attendants arranged themselves behind us so that we formed a long, glittering procession.
I paused for a second in the doorway, my courage failing me as I looked at the rows upon rows upon rows of splendidly dressed courtiers who all stared at me as they jostled each other rudely for space. I wanted to be able to remember this scene, my first proper glimpse of Versailles for the rest of my life. There was light and crystal and marble and splendour wherever I looked and I knew that the Abbé had not lied when he told me that the Hall of Mirrors was the most beautiful room in all of the world.
‘Madame,’ the Dauphin murmured, gently reminding me that there was no time to stand and stare.
I gathered up all of my bravado and lifted my head high before allowing him to lead me slowly down the gallery and then through a series of equally opulent and gorgeously appointed rooms, all of which were crammed with beautiful furniture, portraits, statues and wonderful ceiling paintings depicting Roman deities. Each room was filled with people, who fell silent and curtsied with insolent stares as I went past. The women openly looked me up and down then whispered to each other behind their painted fans while the men’s gazes were much more appraising and lingered on my bosom then my ankles, which were just visible beneath the heavy silver skirts.
‘This is the way to the chapel,’ the Dauphin whispered as we went down some stairs, leaving the King who would be watching from his balcony upstairs. Oh marvellous, he likes to lecture me as well. What fun. ‘We go this way to Mass every morning.’
‘In front of all those people?’ I whispered back, aghast.
He looked at me then and I believe that I saw the faintest glimmer of a smile. ‘Naturally.’
It did not take us long to reach the royal chapel and there was a small pause in the vestibule as my ladies came forward and tweaked my skirts and tried their best to hide the wide expanse of lacing at my back which betrayed the fact that my dress was much too small for me. ‘Good luck,’ Madame de Mailly whispered as they melted back again, their silk skirts rustling against the marble floor. ‘You look beautiful. Look straight ahead at the altar and ignore all the stares.’
I smiled and squeezed the Dauphin’s hand reassuringly, wishing, now that I had overcome my own fears that there was some way that I could bring the colour back to his cheeks and stop him trembling. ‘It will be over soon,’ was the best that I could manage as we stepped forward into the luminous white and gold light of the chapel.‘
Reviews:
‘A refreshing new look at the life of a woman who is arguably one of France’s most famous historical figures, told from the point of view of Marie Antoinette herself. Starting from her childhood days as Maria Antonia, an Austrian princess, we follow her thoughts and feelings as she grows into a lively young woman adjusting to the politics and intrigue of the French court in the 18th century. Melanie Clegg writes with a refreshing, unpretentious style and an eye to detail that shows her familiarity and expertise with the subject material and giving us a glimpse into the world of a much-misunderstood woman.‘
**
‘A wonderful first offering. Unputdownable – the passion of the author for her subject material is compelling and touching, and makes for an emotional read. It completely drew me in and I read it in one sitting.’
**
‘The author Melanie Clegg has a fresh and engaging writing style that draws even a novice to Marie Antoinette in. Her blend of fact and fiction is flawless and definitely deserves a wider audience. I’m very much looking forward to Melanie writing a sequel to Marie’s life so I don’t have to rely on the dry and dusty wiki entry to learn about the rest of her life.’
**
‘I love books in diary format, and I really loved this one. I had trouble at first believing that the girl who was so badly educated that her governess wrote her lessons for her would really keep a diary, but the story drew me in from the start, with the atmosphere of the Imperial court at Schonbrunn drawn so vividly that I could smell the hot chocolate and violet perfume.
Maria Antonia grows up on the page, from the child putting mice in her governess’s shoes to the young woman trying to comfort her awkward husband as they enter the chapel at Versailles, and the rest of the Imperial court are drawn very vividly, from Maria Theresa herself to the young adventurer Karl von Zweibrucken. The Secret Diary Of A Princess wears its research lightly, but it’s obvious that the research is there. I’d definitely recommend this novel to anyone interested in Marie Antoinette, or anyone who wants more than a ‘wallpaper historical’.
The Secret Diary of a Princess is available for Kindle from Amazon US and Amazon UK. Don’t forget to leave a review there when you’ve finished as I’d love to know what you think!
NICE… MORE PLEASE
Yours is an elegant and enjoyable website. I’m very pleased you have created and share such a refreshing and graceful work.
Thanks!
I’ve been reading about Marie Antoniette lately and finally know she was not as bitch as I always thought. I wished she had survived the French Revolution and the guillotine. Too bad her daughter had no children, but at least she managed to live a happy life after such a disgrace.
Aw, that’s nice to hear. So many people think that Marie Antoinette was a total grasping harpy when in fact she was nothing like that – it’s a shame that her image has been so shamelessly manipulated really. I wish that they could all have survived – I get so upset when I think about the poor Dauphin. :(
What a fantastic excerpt! I can’t wait to read more.
Ten years ago, I wrote The Queen’s Folly, a fictional tale about Marie Antoinette’s secret daughter. It won several contests but was soundly rejected by nearly every editor in the United States because they said, “France does not sell.”
I am so glad to see that France is finally selling!
My fourth book (completed eight years ago), Silence in the Mist, is due out this July and is based on a real life counterrevolutionary spy in the Vendee – a female spy. It’s taken years for me to find a publisher willing to publish a novel with strong romantic elements, set firmly in France, during the revolution.
I am glad publishers and editors are finally starting to see what you and I have known for years…that the French Revolution is SEXY and fascinating!
Keep up the writing and post more soon.
Thanks so much! This book is out with Lulu now – I may have to post about it tomorrow as people have been asking about it a lot lately! :)
Oh gosh, how grim! I always thought that 18th century France would be immensely popular but have been finding that actually it is really out of vogue with historical fiction types, which is such a shame! I think the French Revolution is so fascinating – my own book set during it is out this summer! When is your book out? :)
x
This is such a good website after all the sad and accusing websites I’ve looked at telling Marie Antoinette’s story very differently. She definitely played a very important part in history and should be remembered for the immense amount of good she did such as all the charity work etc. instead of for her faults. Thank you so much for showing everyone another side of the story
You’re welcome. xx
This web site is beautiful!!!! I am a history lover, always reading , most Renaissance, I have red a lot about Marie Antoinette. She was a remarkable lady.
xoxo,,,,Margot….:)
Thank you! :)
I’m a big fan of Marie Antoinette! x
Your website has to be the eleoctnric Swiss army knife for this topic.
What a refreshing, totally engrossing, and enjoyable site. I have just moved up to this century, so forgive my computer skills or lack therof. 18th century France is one of my favorite periods in history, but before I forget there is a painting, actually a self portrait of Vigee Le Brun for sale on E-bay as I write.6;30 EST.You really amaze me, what with taking care of your family, home, and writing your books as well. Very admirable.Keep it up.
Thanks so much! When I get nice comments like this one, they are usually spam. :D
Oh, I am a bit of a lazybones really but it’s nice to know that I give the impression of being at least relatively capable! Thank you. :)
Love your website, can not wait to read your books!
What a refreshing, totally engrossing, and enjoyable site. I have just moved up to this century, so forgive my computer skills or lack therof. 18th century France is one of my favorite periods in history, but before I forget there is a painting, actually a self portrait of Vigee Le Brun for sale on E-bay as I write.6;30 EST.You really amaze me, what with taking care of your family, home, and writing your books as well. Very admirable.Keep it up.
+1
I absolutely love this blog, I’ve been lost in it since I came across it a few days ago. I also just finished The Secret Diary of a Princess which I finished in one day, I couldn’t put it down. You’re an amazingly talented writer and really made the characters come to life. Keep ‘em coming! :-) x
We want more.
Well is it only available in UK and US ?Can’t in be available in Singapore ? :( I’m a huge fan of Marie Antoinette too …