The saying "Let them eat cake!" is often attributed to Marie Antoinette, one of the many queens of France. Unfortunately, this is a common misconception. It was not Louis XVI's wife Marie Antoinette, who said this, it was Louis XIV's wife Marie Therese. I'm a history buff and this is a common misconception that drives me nuts! If you would like to read more go to


click here

Link doesn't work

'Bit of a history buff, myself. I didn't know this, and will avidly pursue your documentation. Thanks!

Hmm...

There's another history here of the term. I don't think Marie Antionette actually said it, but even if Marie Therese was more likely to, I think she'd have been smarter than to do so.

--Jaylemurph

it wasnt cake either it was Brioche..... which only further serves to show how the remark was a sarcastic one as Brioche is a form of bread like a small loaf stuffed with various fillings. I suppose, one could interpret the remark as the person saying... "Well if there isn't enough flour to make whole loaves make Brioche", as it it is, in effect a loaf with a hollow centre.

Mmmm......cake

I understood that the term cake was in reference to what bakers scraped out of their ovens at the end of the day. You know, all the spillage and crumbs.

Sorry the link doesn't work. Just look up marie antoinette on wikipedia. As I understood, cake had a lot of meanings back then. I heard one of them was horse manure.

Actually it may have been any number of people who said it. Could have been a friend of Marie Therese.

no one in France ever said that, they don't speak english when speaking to each other yanno

you sure they didn't actually say
"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche"

pretty awesome to know that, thanks!

It has long been my understanding that the phrase, "Let them eat cake!" was used during the French Revolution as propaganda against Marie Antoinette and nobility in particular.
It was used to stir the embers of revolution into a blaze. But it did not originate with her.

H. Allen Smith, the late journalist and humorist, decried many false attributions in his article, "Quote, Unquote." Many of the quotes we attribute today to famous persons were never said by them, or said by someone else but the famous person got the credit.
The article, "Quote, Unquote" may be found in Smith's book, "How To Write Without Knowing Nothing." Before you indict this as a source, you should know that Smith was famous for having odd book titles" Larks in the Popcorn, Life in a Putty Knife Factory, Low Man on a Totem Pole, etc.
Smith was a journalist for 20 years before he became a published author, so he was meticulous about his research. According to him:

"Let them eat cake" appeared in the writings of Rosseau when Marie was 11 years old and not yet a resident of France.

Mark Twain never said, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." It likely belongs to Charles Dudley Warner, a close friend of Twain's who co-wrote "The Gilded Age" with Twain.

The Hollywood mogul Samuel Goldwyn never said, "A terrible carriage of misjustice."

"Go West, young man" is falsely attributed to Horace Greeley. It was actually penned by John B. L. Soule in the Terre Haute (Indiana) Express newspaper in 1851. Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, quoted Soule in an editorial and was falsely identified with the phrase. For the rest of his life, Greeley tried to straighten out the false attribution but it dogged him to the end.

It is unlikely that Louis XIV ever said, "I am the State."

Voltaire never said or wrote, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." He actually wrote, "Think for yourselves, and let others enjoy the privilege to do so." A lady who edited Voltaire's works, after his death, decided his quote needed punch and changed it to what we know today. I'm sure Voltaire had a few choice words for her when she finally crossed over to the Other Side.

W.C. Fields never said, "Any man who hates dogs and little children can't be all bad." The quote belongs to Leo Rosten, who said it while introducing Fields during a testimonial dinner. Soon after, it was credited to the famous film star and comedian.

Well, I hope this straightens out a few misattributions. Let's be careful out there, especially when using a well-known quote.

Exactly what I was going to say! Yeah I think that the French Revolution is often overlooked in history. Bigger history events like WW2 and such always seem to take the spotlight. Not that I'm saying it's a history popularity contest but well, when was the last time a French Revolution movie came out compared to all the movies about WW2? (note: Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette was not a French Revolution movie.)

French revolution Movies like ?

the scarlet pimpernel or anything with a muskateer in it ?

theyre out all the time

theyre rubbish but thats hollywood for you

Yet another misconception, is that she was willing to apply instant "Nobleman" status, for anyone able to lend a hand...