Heady odour of the last French Queen set to roll on to market

The Times ^ | February 23, 2005 | Adam Sage

[MadIvan]

£1,000 will buy perfume of a tragic royal

A FRAGRANCE worn by Marie-Antoinette, a woman sometimes described as the world’s first fashion victim, has been re-created by a French perfume-maker for an exhibition at the Palace of Versailles.

The perfume, Sillage de la Reine (In the Queen’s Wake), is likely to be put on a sale by the palace, which has been inundated with requests from people who want to smell like the Austrian-born Queen beheaded during the French Revolution. A thousand flacons are set to be made available at a price of around €1,500 (£1,050) each, with the profits being used to restore Marie-Antoinette’s furniture and objects.

Sillage de la Reine, which can be inhaled during pre-booked tours of the Marie-Anoinette exhibition at Versailles, was made by Francis Kurkdjian, one of France’s most celebrated perfume-makers. It is based on the ingredients and methods used in the late 18th century by Marie-Antoinette’s personnel supplier of fragrances, Jean-Louis Fargeon.

The perfume contains essence of citron tree, lavender, rose petal, jasmin, galbanum, iris, musk, tonka bean, ambergris, vanilla, benjamin, cedar and sandalwood. Elisabeth de Feydeau, a French historian, discovered the recipe during research for a biography on Fargeon.

“It is a superb floral bouquet made with entirely natural products,” she said. “It does not have the tenacity or the amplitude of a modern perfume, but when I tested it, everyone wanted to know what it was and everyone complimented me on it. It unleashes emotions that we no longer know.”

In her work, published last month, she says that Fargeon supplied the French court with an array of luxury cosmetics as well as toothbrushes, combs and tongue scrapers that were used to fight bad breath.

Marie-Antoinette’s taste for luxury contributed to the unpopularity of the French monarchy and ultimately turned her — literally — into the first ever fashion victim.

[MadIvan]

Sorry, couldn't resist the title. ;)

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[Borges]

Murdered by the Reign of Terror thugs. She apparently went to her death with great dignity.

[Tax-chick]

"It unleashes emotions that we no longer know.”

Dang! I wished she'd elaborated on that a little!

[kromike]

What's it called, Eau de Hillary?

;)

[maine-iac7]

Sillage de la Reine

Looks more like it would translate to: "River Sewage" ;O)

[DainBramage]

" It unleashes emotions that we no longer know.”

The desire to move forward during battle?

[MadIvan]

The desire to move forward during battle?

ROFL!

[WestTexasWend]

Ah, well...nothing's more powerful than the scent of that most legendary Frenchman, Pepe le Pew.

[Clemenza]

In defense of Marie-Antionette, she WAS Austrian, and therefore didn't have the odor problems of her Bourbon husband.

[tet68]

I said goodby to bad breath, when I got my battery powered
tongue scraper.

Glad to see the recipe had ambergris in it.

[martin_fierro]

[Bahbah]

LOL, cracked me up you did.

[Centurion2000]

Marie-Antoinette’s personnel [SIC] supplier

Shouldn't that be personal ? Send the journalist and his editor back to school.

I HATE spell check functions.

[Centurion2000]

" It unleashes emotions that we no longer know.”

The desire to move forward during battle?

That's AWESOME ... bravo :)

[injin]

was that her oder before , or after spending a time in the French dungeons ? I have to wonder , how far as France actually come since the days of Robespierre and Marat ?

[yankeedame]

Murdered by the Reign of Terror thugs. She apparently went to her death with great dignity.

Indeed she did. As she was about to position herself before the guillotine, she accidentally stepped on the executioner's foot.

"Mousier," she said gently, "I beg your pardon."

These were her last words.

[redhead]

"Sillage de la Reine Looks more like it would translate to: "River Sewage" ;O)"

Lookee there! They misspelled "SILAGE." hmmm..."Silage in the Rain:" You have to SMELL it to believe it.

[grizzly84]

The world does not need more French odor.

[Imaverygooddriver]

The French revolution; They behead the royalty then behead the replacements. That whole revolution was based solely on the guillotine, it truly was. That revoly had nothing to do with anything other than coming up with excuse after excuse to behead people with the guillotine, like little children who couldn`t get enough of their favorte toy and went into a mania over it. They were sick bastards back then and they`re sick bastards today, and may they all come up with a new toy to kill themselves right off for good.

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

[OkieDoke]

Having forked silage, I don't think it's anything I'd want to detect behind a gal's ears.
Maybe A-1 sauce. But not silage. (Eau de Nebraska)

[nothingnew]

French...hmmm...reminds me of someone spraying airfreshener in the mens room at the shop at work at...the guy left the bathroom and I turned to the guy working next to me and said "Somebody just shit a pine tree"....

FMCDH(BITS)

[Vicomte13]

Tel plaisir d'avoir fait votre connaissance, monsieur! C'est un vrai plaisir, je vous jure.

[nothingnew]

So what you're saying is they have BO?...bwahahahaha! Good stanky rant.

FMCDH(BITS)

[Desdemona]

The perfume contains essence of citron tree, lavender, rose petal, jasmin, galbanum, iris, musk, tonka bean, ambergris, vanilla, benjamin, cedar and sandalwood. Elisabeth de Feydeau, a French historian, discovered the recipe during research for a biography on Fargeon.

And a good number of us are allergic to it.

[elmer fudd]

I don't know. I think getting rid of royalty is always worthwhile. Maybe the new government isn't any better, but no country needs a class of arrogant, hereditary parasites to rule over them. The best thing our founders did was to nip the idea of a king in the bud.

[IonImplantGuru]

"It unleashes emotions that we no longer know.” Dang! I wished she'd elaborated on that a little!

Well, just visualize the following emotion: "My Lord! I do believe I'm losing my head!"

Followed by the swooshing sound of the descending guillotine blade, a THUNK!, and a final crazily rotating view of the roaring maddened crowd.... and fade to black.

Elaborate enough for you?

[IonImplantGuru]

"Sillage de la Reine Looks more like it would translate to: "River Sewage" ;O)" Lookee there! They misspelled "SILAGE." hmmm..."Silage in the Rain:" You have to SMELL it to believe it.

'Wake of the Queen' is the Babelfish translation for 'Sillage de la Reine'.

[davisfh]

"Eau de Hillary"

Try "phew de Hillary"

[Imaverygooddriver]

It`s truly a pleasure to meet you as well.

[Alouette]

[niteowl77]

no country needs a class of arrogant, hereditary parasites to rule over them

The voters of Massachussetts disagree with you.

[foolscap]

It unleashes emotions that we no longer know.

What emotions I wonder? Maybe something like the terror of the guillotine.

[Victoria Delsoul]

LOL, anything to avoid taking a shower, huh?

[theDentist]

Oh great! Another French product I can deliberately boycott! :)

I wish France would bring back their National Razor, and reconsider their heads of government.

[headsonpikes]

snicker snicker HAW!

Exquisite!