Marie Antoinette season 2 ending explained: what happens to the King and Queen of France?

Marie Antoinette season 2 marks the return of the thrilling BBC historical drama telling the tale of the Queen and her life in the court of Versailles.

Focusing on the real-life events of the time, Marie Antoinette depicts the eponymous Queen as she navigates her life by the side of King Louis XVI.

In season 1, she moved from Austria to France as a young girl, meeting Louis for the first time. She birthed his children and, most importantly, a son and heir to the throne. And they took the throne themselves as King and Queen of France. But, there's plenty more of their historical tale left to tell in season 2.

Here's a recap of everything that happened in Marie Antoinette season 2 episode 8.

The final episode opens on Marie waking up in her room, covered in snow. She walks through the apartments and finds her children and Louis frozen to death. She startles awake in her own bed. Then, Breteuil and Mr Necker tell Marie of a riot started by a rumour for wage cuts. Some of the rioters say they’re being paid by Orleans. They have the pictures he printed of Marie at Saint-Cloud in their pockets. She says they should arrest him, but Mr Necker says it’s a bad idea and would make France even angrier. She dismisses them as she gets ready for the Estates General.

Louis practises his speech, but he struggles. He heads out together with the Queen in their full regalia. It cuts to the Queen explaining to her children that bishops and priests are the First Estate, knights and nobles are the Second Estate, and everyone else is the Third Estate. She adds that the Third Estate will hopefully help them to convince the other two to vote in their favour. The King and Queen are called out to speak to the Estates General. While the crowd claps for the King, they’re quieter for the Queen.

Louis steps forward and begins to speak eloquently and confidently to the crowd. The Queen struggles with the judging eyes. But, after the King delivers his speech the crowd stands and cheers for them. In London, Jeanne is hiding coins inside of her book as Nicolas returns. He brings her a gift, a dress. She wants to know where he’s hidden the diamonds, but he says he’s spent them. They kiss, but she asks again as she doesn’t believe him.

At Palais-Royal, Mademoiselle Tussaud is making a model of Orleans' head. Felicite comes in and asks about him hoarding grain, which he all but admits. He tells her to be calm as they’re close to achieving their goal. At Versailles, Marie sits with her son and looks through complaints from the people that Louis has requested. Louis brings the Dauphin a feather. He’s still to hear from the Estates General and they discuss Jeanne’s memoirs that are selling everywhere.

In London, Jeanne and Nicolas lay in bed together. She suggests they go to America, but Nicolas says it’s too far, especially if he wants to see the boys, referring to their lost twins. She argues, but he wants to stay where they are and just be happy. Meanwhile, the King and Queen have fallen asleep next to the Dauphin’s bedside, but as Marie wakes up she realises that her son has passed away. The doctor arrives and they say they must take the body immediately. As the Queen screams, Louis picks him up and carries him away. Provence arrives and walks beside him.

The next day, Louis says they won’t have a state funeral because of the economy. He leaves to go hunting, but Yolande is waiting outside. Marie comes out and then shuts the door in her face while Louis leaves her behind. As she sleeps, Marie dreams of her son. Again, the official portrait is taken down from the wall. Out hunting, Louis finds another feather. Breteuil asks the Queen about Louis’s health and she explains the Dauphin has set him back.

The Third Estate arrives to speak to Louis. They want to know how they should vote, but he explains he is in mourning. The Queen enters and demands that the Third Estate leave. Target, leading the Third Estate, says that they won’t vote until the King decides and every day that passes makes the situation worse. Elsewhere, Provence rubs a pain in his side. Josephine offers to make Provence a powder. They watch in the gardens as Louis tells Normandy that he’s the new Dauphin. Provence says he hasn’t been to the doctor about his stomach because it’s just indigestion.

As Jeanne wakes up one evening, she notices the missing diamonds shining from atop the chandelier in the middle of the room. At Versailles, Mr Necker tells Louis that the Third Estate have taken matters into their own hands. They’ve broken away from the Estates General and declared themselves a National Assembly, a sole legislative body. They want to limit royal power and are working on a constitution. As Louis tells his family, Mr Necker suggests it might be wise to give them a constitution after all. Provence argues that Louis should impose the Crown's rights upon them instead.

Marie steps forward and suggests a compromise and as Provence argues, he can’t stop coughing. He steps out with Josephine and they run into Madame de Rohan and Malherbe demanding to see the King. They’re angry about the National Assembly and want to make sure the Crown and Parliament don’t lose their authority. Provence says they are the reason for the problem in the first place, by turning against Louis at every turn. As Madame de Rohan tries to barge past, Provence stands against her and demands they all leave, shouting in her face.

Marie goes to visit Josephine. She hands her letters from Marguerite and goes to see Provence. He’s unwell. She speaks of Orleans, but says she’s also concerned about Mr Necker, accusing him of courting popularity and the army and for trying to persuade the King to give up his power. Provence thinks there could be a coup and says that Necker needs to go. But she says since Paris supports him, if they got rid of him, they might turn more people against them. He tells her to order reinforcements from the borderlands.

Marie Antoinette season 2 ending explained

Provence again asks for Josephine to fix his powders and she obliges. Provence says the doctor has told him something is eating at his innards. He says it’s terminal. In London, Jeanne is wearing the gown Nicolas bought her. He leaves for the pub. She pulls out an embarcation coupon for the US that she’s bought for herself to go to New York and packs up all the diamonds. But, Nicolas comes back. As she goes to leave, guards show up looking for her. She goes to the window and as a horse cart passes by below with hay, she tries to drop into it, but instead misses and kills herself. The guards arrest Nicolas. A boy runs past and steals the diamonds.

At Versailles, the Queen tells Lamballe that Jeanne died falling from a window. She says her husband pushed her. Louis enters and says he thinks Necker is encouraging the rebels. He says he’s sent Necker into exile and is having him escorted back to Geneva. Josephine heads to Palais-Royal. Marguerite is there. She says they need to get Josephine out of there before she’s recognised as the discontent is now across France, not just Paris.

Louis and Marie discuss Necker’s exile and Marie says she’s worried about Paris’s reaction, but Louis says he had Necker taken at night so no-one will know. In the palace grounds, rioters suddenly emerge and attack the guards, heading to take Normandy but the Queen gets there in time to grab him. She hands him to Louis and tells him to run. They speak indoors and Marie asks Louis what he wants to do. He tells her to take the kids to Saint-Cloud. Provence says they have to stay while Victoire says it would show fear if they left. Provence says if they’re to serve France, they need to do it where they are. Louis agrees to stay. Lamballe says she’ll make sure the household is secure and Marie sends Breteuil to get Orleans.

When Provence returns to his room, Marguerite is there and Josephine’s bags are packed. She says the National Assembly says she can’t be exiled. Provence says he can’t be left because he’s dying. Josephine dismisses him and says she’s moving Marguerite back into her rooms. Then, she reveals that she’s been feeding him rat poison for six months, that’s why he’s ill. She says she wants to keep him alive to be tortured by her happiness and he replies that he doesn’t want to be shut out again and that they’re stronger together. She agrees that's why she didn't actually kill him.

Orleans arrives to see the Queen. She tells him to calm the mob in Paris. He says the mob are acting this way because they’re starving. But she says they’re only starving because he’s hoarding grain. Orleans argues it’s not his fault since France created a deficit and hid it, as well as angering the Parliament in court with Cardinal Rohan. He says what she should’ve done is reunited their families with agreeing to the marriage of her daughter to his son.

She tells him to speak to the Third Estate and stop the National Assembly. But he says it’s too late. She holds his face in her hands and pleads for his son. He says he wants his son to inherit his throne and as he goes to leave, she calls him a coward. In her room, Marie and Louis lie in their son’s bed. They talk about when they were first married and Marie says she’s bad luck and he argues it’s him that’s the bad luck.

Outside Versailles, people are burning effigies of the King and Queen. A carriage passes with Orleans inside. As he returns to Palais-Royal, the rebels break out Orleans’ Tussaud model and hold it on a stick, carrying it through the streets and chanting, “Long live the Duke of Orleans”. He goes to Felicite and they celebrate.

The crowd chant to head to the Bastille to release Louis’ political prisoners. Outside, they’re tearing up a man on the streets. Felicite says Orleans should come to the Bastille with them, but he says he wants to be the King, not a martyr. If they wanted radical change, they wouldn’t have chosen him, a prince of the blood. She calls him arrogant but he says she chose him too.

At Versailles, Victoire and Provence watch as the people of Versailles leave, including Yolande. As she passes Lamballe, Yolande says that she should tell the Queen to leave, too. Lamballe and Bretueil approach and tell the King and Queen of the mob invading the Bastille. A revolution has begun. Crowds gather outside the gates of Versailles demanding they come out and start firing guns. As the guards rush to the gates, they open.

All episodes of Marie Antoinette, seasons 1 and 2, are available on BBC iPlayer.