When Louis XIV began ruling in his own right, England's ruler was Queen Anne.
Generally speaking, wilfulness, arrogance, abuse of power, and such came from monarchs; monarchs were the ones who made people feel the weight of their shackles. But at Queen Anne's court, it was the Duchess of Marlborough who made those shackles grow heavier by the day, so Queen Anne turned her attention to Lady Masham at her side. The Duchess was seized by jealousy. Several times, she refused the gloves offered by the Queen and, in front of the Queen, "accidentally" spilled a cup of water over Lady Masham.
When girls gathered together, this sort of thing was unavoidable, whether it was over men or women. Marie Antoinette had also been extremely popular when she first arrived in Paris. Rooftops, balconies, and window openings were crammed with people.
The king at the time, Louis XV, had arranged a fireworks display for her. Georgiana had once been to the Tower of London, where beheading had once been a privilege reserved for nobles because it was quicker than hanging. The guillotine had been invented to lessen suffering, so one had been placed at the former execution ground for nobles, and the fireworks were set off there. Unfortunately, a brilliant flash suddenly appeared during the display, and then the entire guillotine caught fire.
The blaze quickly ignited the fireworks beneath the platform as well, turning fireworks meant to bring joy into deadly rockets. The accident killed fifty-three people and injured more than three hundred, but it was only one of many ominous signs of the misfortunes that would follow Marie Antoinette's marriage into France.
The old king, Louis XV, liked Marie Antoinette very much, not only because of her youth and beauty, but also because of her frankness and warmth.