Marie Antoinette May 1774, the Dauphin ascended the throne as King Louis XVI of France and Navarre with Marie Antoinette as his Queen. At the outset, the new queen had limited political influence with her husband, who, with the support of his two most important ministers, Chief Minister Maurepas and Foreign Minister Vergennes, blocked several of her candidates from assuming important positions, including Choiseul. The queen did play a decisive role in the disgrace and exile of the most powerful of Louis XV's ministers, the Duke of Aiguillon. On 24 May 1774, two weeks after the death of Louis XV, the king
Antoinette de Guercheville Antoinette de Guercheville Antoinette de Pons-Ribérac, comtesse de La Roche-Guyon and marquise de Guercheville (1560 - 16 January 1632) was a French court official. She served as "Première dame d'honneur" to the queen of France, Marie de' Medici, from 1600 until 1632. She was foremost known as Madame de Guercheville. Antoinette was the daughter of Antoine de Pons-Ribérac, comte de Marennes, and Marie de Montchenu, dame de Guercheville, and married firstly to Henri de Silly, comte de la Rocheguyon (d. 1586), and secondly, in 1594, to Charles du Plessis-Liancourt, comte de Beaumont. Antoinette de Pons was described as a virtuous