Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Attribution ·167 of 348
""Let them eat brioche." (the real French)"
They never said that.
What people say
""Let them eat brioche." (the real French)"
What was actually said
"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche." Rousseau, attributed to "a great princess" — Confessions, Book VI (written 1765–70, published 1782)
Why it stuck
Rousseau recorded the anecdote years before Marie Antoinette was even living in France. The "great princess" he referred to could not have been her. The brioche/cake confusion has been continuous ever since.
Marie Antoinette arrived at Versailles in 1770 — after Rousseau's manuscript was complete.
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