The X-Rated Secrets Of Versailles: 5 New Revelations About Marie Antoinette And Count Fersen's Forbidden Love

The enduring mystery of Marie Antoinette and Count Axel von Fersen's relationship has captivated historians and romantics for over two centuries. Was it a platonic, devoted friendship, or the most passionate and dangerous love affair in royal history? As of today, December 13, 2025, the debate has been tipped dramatically by cutting-edge forensic science, offering a fresh, intimate look at the forbidden words they shared during the darkest hours of the French Revolution.

This article dives deep into the latest discoveries, particularly the X-ray analysis of their secret correspondence, to finally answer the question of their true connection. The evidence suggests a bond far more intense—and politically perilous—than previously understood, cementing the Swedish Count's status as the Queen's most loyal, and perhaps only, true love.

The Profiles: Queen and Count

To fully grasp the magnitude of their forbidden romance, one must first understand the two central figures: a Queen who became a symbol of royal excess and a Swedish nobleman whose devotion bordered on obsession.

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Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

• Full Name: Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna
• Born: November 2, 1755, in Vienna, Austria.
• Parents: Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria-Theresa.
• Title: Queen Consort of France (1774–1792) as the wife of King Louis XVI.
• Nickname: "The Austrian Woman" (by her detractors).
• Key Role: Her unpopularity and perceived extravagance (e.g., the Diamond Necklace Affair) fueled the anti-monarchy sentiment leading to the French Revolution.
• Death: Executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793, in Paris.

Hans Axel von Fersen, Count of Sweden

• Full Name: Hans Axel von Fersen the Younger (Axel de Fersen in France).
• Born: September 4, 1755, in Stockholm, Sweden.
• Titles: Swedish Count, Military Officer, Courtier, Ambassador, Marshal of the Realm.
• Key Role: Trusted confidant of the French Royal Family; primary architect of the ill-fated Flight to Varennes.
• Military Service: Served in the American Revolutionary War under the French forces.
• Death: Lynched by a mob in Stockholm on June 20, 1810, due to political unrest.

Revelation 1: The X-Ray Technology That Deciphered Their Love

For decades, the most compelling evidence of a sexual affair—a series of clandestine letters exchanged while the royal family was imprisoned—remained frustratingly censored. An unknown individual, likely a member of the Fersen family, had meticulously scribbled out certain lines and words in dark ink, effectively redacting the most intimate passages.

The breakthrough came not from traditional historical methods, but from science. Researchers at the French National Archives, including Anne Michelin of Sorbonne University, employed a non-invasive technique called 2D macro-X-ray fluorescence (2D macro-XRF).

This technology works by analyzing the chemical composition of the ink. The original iron-gall ink used by Fersen and the Queen had a different chemical signature (specifically, a higher iron and copper content) than the carbon-based ink used for the redactions. By mapping these elements, the scientists could "see through" the censor's markings.

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The results were stunning, finally exposing the raw, desperate emotion concealed for over 200 years. The redacted passages confirm that the two shared a language of deep, reciprocal affection, a bond that transcended mere friendship or political alliance.

Revelation 2: The Redacted Words That Prove the Affair

What exactly did the X-ray technology reveal? The decoded passages, exchanged between June 1791 and January 1792, are the closest historians have ever come to a smoking gun. While they don't explicitly describe sexual intimacy, the language is unequivocally that of lovers.

In one letter, Marie Antoinette wrote to Fersen: "I will tell you that I love you," followed by a censored line. When deciphered, the line became "I will tell you that I love you madly and that I can never be a moment without adoring you."

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Fersen's replies were equally passionate and revealing, containing phrases like "My dearest and most loved one," and expressing his desire to be with her. The words they used—such as "tender," "adore," and "love"—were far too intense for the formal, polite correspondence of the era, even between close friends. The deliberate redaction itself is the strongest piece of evidence, as the censor clearly understood the damaging, intimate nature of the original text.

Revelation 3: The True Architect of the Flight to Varennes

The relationship between the Queen and the Count was not merely personal; it was deeply political. Fersen’s loyalty to Marie Antoinette transcended his duty to his own King, Gustav III of Sweden. He became the primary, tireless, and obsessive force behind the royal family's escape attempt, known as the Flight to Varennes, in June 1791.

It was Fersen who meticulously devised the complicated plan, procured the massive, slow carriage (a berline), and disguised the royal family as the servants of a fictional Russian Baroness de Korff. On the night of the escape, Fersen drove the carriage himself, acting as the "dashing cabman," before parting ways with the monarchs to ensure his own safety and continue his counterrevolutionary activity.

His involvement was not a calculated political move, but a desperate act of love. He risked his life, career, and reputation, solely driven by the desire to save the woman he adored. The failure of the flight, which ended in the royal family's capture at Varennes and their eventual execution, haunted Fersen for the rest of his life, fueling his relentless, though ultimately fruitless, efforts to secure their release.

Revelation 4: The Cipher and the Code of Secrecy

Their correspondence was not just redacted; it was often written in cipher, a complex code, underscoring the extreme secrecy required for their communication. This was not a casual exchange of notes; it was a high-stakes, treasonous act carried out while the Queen was under the surveillance of the French revolutionaries.

The use of ciphers and coded messages was essential for political communication, but in this case, it protected personal, intimate thoughts as well. The very act of writing in code, and Fersen's use of trusted agents and diplomatic channels to smuggle the messages across borders, highlights the political danger of their love. They were not just risking a scandal; they were risking the Queen's life and the fate of the monarchy.

Revelation 5: The Tragic Aftermath and Fersen's Obsession

After the Queen's execution in 1793, Fersen never recovered. His devotion transformed into a lifelong obsession with her memory and the cause of the French monarchy. He never married and dedicated his remaining years to diplomacy and military service, often carrying the emotional burden of the Flight to Varennes failure.

His tragic end, lynched by a mob in Stockholm in 1810, is a dark final chapter that mirrors the violence of the French Revolution he fought so hard to escape. Fersen's personal papers, including the letters that were later censored, became his final testament, a hidden archive of a love that was impossible in life and remains controversial in death. The modern scientific revelation of the redacted words finally confirms the tragic intensity of a bond that history can no longer dismiss as merely platonic.