Marie Antoinette season 2 episode 3 recap: an escape plan and the Cardinal's deception

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 3.

The episode opens on Chartres at his father’s bedside. While Felicite says they should send for Cagliostro, Chartres says he doesn’t want any healing. They’re waiting as the clock ticks for his father to pass and finally, he does. Chartres goes to his body and declares Duc d’Orleans is dead, he is now Duc d'Orleans. He says he’ll go to Versailles now to be acknowledged by the King. He can’t get the ring from his father’s finger, so he cuts the finger off instead.

With Jeanne and Villette, he’s trying to make the perfect seal to copy Marie Antoinette’s, so they can forge documents from the Queen. He can’t get it right, so he sends Jeanne to Versailles to keep Cardinal Rohan happy while he continues to work on it.

Marie speaks with Breteuil, confirming her fears that she owns nothing. He encourages her to buy her own house, suggesting some possibilities, including Saint-Cloud. Though he says the price is six million. Meanwhile, Lamballe walks through Versailles before finding some flowers on the floor with the note, “With thanks from the Poor Fallen Women”. She notices they’re everywhere.

Jeanne herself hands a bunch of roses to Cardinal Rohan who is upset that the Queen isn't happier with him. He suggests he should give a bigger donation. He says he’ll keep giving until the Queen forgives him. Lambelle talks to Victoire and Adelaide about the fact that everyone has roses from their donations. She says she’s going to prove that Jeanne isn’t who she says she is.

Meanwhile, Marie picks a new artist for her official portrait. She instructs Mrs Vigee-Lebrun will paint her next. Yolande notes that Marie is pregnant again with how much sugar she’s been eating. But, she hasn’t told Louis. Yolande asks whether it’s because she doesn’t know the father, and she says she isn’t sure. She says she must convince Louis it’s his. Elsewhere, Calonne tells Louis they need to borrow 24 million to avoid fiscal collapse. He says they’ll have to borrow from a bank as the Parliament has already lent them money that they used to pay off the interest of the old loan.

Marie comes to visit Louis. She explains she needs to protect herself from Provence should anything happen to the King. She asks for Saint-Cloud, but when he hears it’s six million, he's hesitant. She says she needs it to be settled quickly as she cups her stomach. Realising she's pregnant, he’s unsure that it's his, but she says it only takes one time. Louis queries why she needs a home now when she has a palace and that maybe she fears her future for another reason. He says instead she must ask Calonne if she wants the money. Elsewhere, Jeanne and Villette write letters pretending to be the Queen. They thank Cardinal Rohan for his donation.

At Versailles, Chartres arrives to meet with the King. Marie argues about his return, but Vergennes and Louis argue it’s wise to keep him in favour and dismiss Marie. As Chartres arrives, Louis asks to heal their rift as cousins and welcomes him back to Versailles. Meanwhile, Marie heads to Calonne to ask for Saint-Cloud. Breteuil first hands her something to read that he feel will help her case.

Provence speaks to Chartres who is distracted by Marie’s arrival. He tells him that they forgave him because they know he’s a liability, but he can’t stop watching Marie. He tries to approach her but she shuts him down. With Calonne, he refuses Saint-Cloud and so, Marie says that she knows that Vaudreuil’s debt is three million livres and that Yolande can’t afford it. So, she reveals she knows he’s been robbing the treasury. She demands Saint-Cloud and he agrees.

Afterwards, Calonne is angry at Yolande. He tells her now that the Queen knows about the debts, she’ll have to find another way to pay them off. Louis arrives and Calonne says they can buy Saint-Cloud for Marie, but Vergennes says a married woman cannot own property. He says that she could give it to her brother or her daughter, not her son. He says if Louis dies, Marie’s allies will protect her. But he asks, “What allies?”

Jeanne arrives to see Cardinal Rohan. Count Cagliostro is there. They sit down for dinner, but they’re interrupted by a message from the Queen with Villette dressed as a guard. Alone, Cagliostro recalls two boys, maybe twins, who want to give Jeanne a message that she was a good mother. Jeanne is angry and says she wasn’t a good mother. Cagliostro says he’s protecting Cardinal Rohan, but he can also share that Lamballe asked him if she was a fraud. He says he gave her the benefit of the doubt and she wants to thank him. She threatens him as a fraud and he returns the sentiment.

Arriving home, Villette hands the Cardinal’s reply to the Queen’s letter to Jeanne. Villette expresses his worry that Cagliostro will know what they’re doing. Jeanne says their problem right now is Lamballe. At Versailles, a doctor has come to see the Dauphin. Louis asks him how he is and he says the disease is progressing and he has lost several centimetres in height with the curvature increasing. When he asks how long, the doctor says two, maybe three years. But, he says their daughter has no signs of the disease. If they have more children, they may make a healthy heir. Louis informs him not to tell the Queen.

Afterwards, Yolande comes to get Dauphin from Louis at the fountain. He tells her about his son's disease and that he’ll eventually die. He explains that his older brother also had it. Yolande offers to help Dauphin with the pain, but again he tells her she cannot tell the Queen. She asks about the baby, but he’s not happy. Instead, he asks after Fersen and wants her to find out if his lineage is healthy.

Lamballe goes to see Jeanne. She wants to know why she’s been invited and she says because of her suspicions. She admits she is a fraud and Lamballe says she knew her charity doesn’t exist. Jeanne says it does exist, the reason she’s a fraud is because she lied about being close to the Queen. She expresses that she longed to be close with her and when she speaks of it, Lamballe cries as it resonates with her too. She says she had a friend like Jeanne had described, but they’re not close anymore. They bond over their likeness.

The doctor checks over Marie, but as she asks after Dauphin, he lies. She asks after his spine and height, but the doctor says it will improve. Arriving back at Versailles, Adelaide asks Lamballe what she found out and she says she’s going to ask a genealogist. She bumps into Yolande leaving the genealogist's office. She takes Fersen’s lineage to Louis to look at, they discuss it's strong, and he asks her to keep this between them. He asks whether she’s heard from her husband, but she moves closer to Louis and says she wants to be of service at Versailles. To which, he tells her she’s valued and they get close enough to kiss, but he stops himself. Instead asking her to leave.

Meanwhile, the Discount Bank agrees to give a loan to France. Calonne tells the court. Elsewhere, Marie meets with the artist who is to paint her official portrait. She’s flattered but says she’s supposed to pick an artist from the Academy, but Marie says she wrote to them to add her. Though she jokes, she finally says she wants a portrait that shows her for who she is. Louis arrives and the artist leaves. He tells her she can buy Saint-Cloud. She thanks him and they hug.

The ladies of the court are knitting for Poor Fallen Women and Lamballe comes in, confirming to Adelaide that Jeanne is from King Henry II’s lineage and that she belongs in Versailles. That evening, Cardinal Rohan reads another letter from the Queen. She explains that he can only contact her via the guard she has sent and that they will have to be discreet.

At Palais-Royal, Beaumarchais has been released from the Bastille. They toast and Felicite accuses Chartres of spending too much time at Versailles. He says he doesn’t want change, he just wants to be there. She’s upset and tells him not to forget where his true loyalties lie. Chartres asks Beaumarchais if the Queen and Fersen were together and he confirms it.

Marie and her daughter arrive at Saint-Cloud. As she walks through the empty rooms, she thinks her daughter is playing hide and seek, but as she can’t find her she begins to panic. Until she hears her playing downstairs with a little boy. When she asks who he is, Chartres replies it’s his son. He tells her he used to spend a lot of time here when he was little.

He apologises for dishonouring her and wants to be friends again. She says she will never forgive him. As she walks away, he calls after her that Louis is going to kick her out for having a baby with someone else. He says he can prove it. She slaps him round the face. He says he will persuade France of her baby’s illegitimacy. What he wants is a marriage between his son and Madam Royale, despite her only being eight. She refuses and tells him to leave.

Back at Versailles, Yolande reassures Marie that she shouldn’t tell Louis and that Chartres can’t do anything. At Palais-Royal, Chartres wants a million copies of a sheet printed, but it’s not clear for what. Marie meets with the artist for her portrait. As she poses, the letters between Cardinal Rohan and Jeanne, acting as the Queen, are narrated. He flirts with her.

It cuts to Marie lying in bed holding her newborn baby. Louis comes in to hold him and instructs the guards to ring the bells and tell France he has a new son. Elsewhere, Cardinal Rohan brings Jeanne a bracelet to thank her for his connection with the Queen. He mentions that the jeweller wants to break up the diamond necklace and sell it in pieces. The next day, she narrates to Villette to Cardinal Rohan that the Queen wants the necklace. She says she wants to buy it in secret, so will need his help.

As she awaits Villette’s return with the Cardinal’s reply, another man enters her apartments. She asks him for his diamond contacts in Antwerp. He explains he lost his wife to pirates in Belize, but then asks Jeanne why she pretended she was dead while he was grieving their children. She covers his mouth. Villette returns and asks who the man is, she introduces him as Nicolas La Motte, her husband. He hands her the Cardinal’s reply, which says he’ll buy the necklace but first he wants to discuss details with the Queen in person.

At Palais-Royal, a drawing has been posted everywhere of the Queen leaving Louis behind with six million livres in a sack and off to Saint-Cloud. Chartres is instructing them to keep posting them. He tells Felicite that doing so will destroy the Queen.

Cogliostro speaks to Felicite, but says he can’t help. She asks after his Illuminati signs and while he continues to walk away, she offers to pay him and that makes him stop. Marie and Yolande travel to Saint-Cloud by carriage. But, when they arrive there are two carriages on fire outside. They immediately turn back to Versailles and she says it's Chartres that has done this, now known as Orleans.

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