Marie Antoinette Never Said "Let Them Eat Cake"

In the 18th century, queen Marie Antoinette wasn’t popular amongst the people of France. To some, she appeared to embody the aristocracy: out of touch, naïve, and selfish. She was so reviled that she, along with her family, was executed via guillotine.

Before she was executed, she was told that the peasants were starving. She allegedly responded with “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche,” which translates roughly to “let them eat cake.” This claim was circulated via print to the already angry French populace. Ever since, people have attributed the phrase to Marie Antoinette.