Page "Marie Antoinette" Paragraph 54

Her temperament was more suited to personally directing the education of her children.

To do so was against the traditions of Versailles, where the queen usually had little say over the Enfants de France, as the royal children were called, and they were instead handed over to various courtiers who fought over the privilege.

In particular, after the royal governess at the time of the Dauphin's birth, the princesse de Guéméné, went bankrupt and was forced to resign, there was a controversy over who should replace her.

Marie Antoinette appointed her favourite, the duchesse de Polignac, to the position.

This decision met with disapproval from the court, as the duchess was considered to be of too " immodest " a birth to occupy such an exalted position.

On the other hand, both the king and queen trusted Mme de Polignac completely, and the duchess had children of her own to whom the queen had become attached.