The Courtyard: A Queen's Private Boundary

This courtyard served to shut out the outside world's bustle and protect privacy. Marie Antoinette, born in Austria, found that from the moment she became Queen of France, her every move was open to public view, and she needed a space entirely her own. She turned the Petit Trianon into a deeply private domain that no one could enter without her permission — even King Louis XVI, it is said, had to send word in advance before visiting.