I recently went to view the Sophia Coppola rendition of Marie Antoinette which brought me home to some research on the woman in question. I knew a little information before veiwing the movie, but after watching it, I had many questions that I needed to answer for my own curiosity.
Well, here is what I came up with:
Marie Antoinette was born an Archduchess of Austria.
The daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Maria Theresa of Austria.
Born at Hofburg Palace in Vienna and was the fifteenth child.
But so much for her childhood so to speak, she was wed to Louis XV of France's Grandson Louis-Auguste when she was only 14 years old. Louis-Auguste was only 15 yrs old. (The official proposal was made by Louis XV in 1769). This wedding was to perserve an alliance between Austria and France.
Tutors were summoned to teach Marie the French language and customs, to prepare her for her role as future Queen of France.
On April 19, 1770, a marriage per procurationem, or a marriage to her brother Ferdinand, in place of Louis Auguste, took place in Vienna's Augustine Church. They did this because Marie would have entered France as the Archduchess of Austria until she married Louis and the French would not allow it. By this "marriage" taking place, she could enter the French court as the Dauphine, and then be officially married to Louis Auguste.
Two days later, she left Vienna crying.
On May 7, she was required to leave her Austrian clothing, possessions, everything behind, as an act of loyalty upon reaching the Rhine borderbetween Kehl and Strasbourg.
She was stripped of her nationality and her clothing and dressed in French attire, (now at 14 years of age can you imagine what this would do to you). It made her break down and cry. After much pleading they finally let her keep her dog that she had with her.
After she was dressed she was taken to Strasboug for a Thanksgiving Mass in her honor.
A few days Later, she continued to Versailles, where she met her future Grandfather-in-law and the rest of the royal family.

Will post Part 2 ASAP