Marie Antoinette has been renewed for season 2

Marie Antoinette (Emilia Schule) with arms outstretched
Emilia Schule will return to reprise her role as the French queen. (Image credit: BBC / Capa Drama / Banijay Studios France / Les Gens / Canal+ / Caroline Dubois)

Marie Antoinette will return for a second season after becoming a global hit, so fans will be seeing even more from the last queen of France.

The first season of Marie Antoinette followed Austrian-born Marie Antoinette (Emilia Schüle) as she’s sent to France at 14 by her ambitious mother in order to cement peace between the two countries. She is expected to marry the 15-year-old future King Louis XVI (Louis Cunningham) and provide him with an heir. 

However, Marie Antoinette soon learns that the French courts are a treacherous place and she must fight, not only to do things her own way, but also to stay alive, leading to a thrilling adaptation of the monarch's life.

Now, fans will get to see even more drama, as Marie Antoinette has been confirmed for a second season, which is set to portray how the royal couple at the height of their power faced an unprecedented financial crisis.

The series will once again be produced by Capa Drama and Banijay Studios France, with Banijay Rights distributing the series globally, including BBC in the UK and PBS in the US.

Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights said of the renewal: "Without a doubt, Marie Antoinette has been a popular drama with our buyers worldwide, and this is testament to the world-class producers in France who have created a premium, returning series for the international market.

Marie Antoinette with the dauphin Louis.

Marie Antoinette with the dauphin Louis (Image credit: BBC)

"The flawless, high-quality production is filled with glamourous talent and lavish locations, and we’re thrilled to offer a landmark new season of this unique interpretation of the fashionable French queen to global audiences."

Series creator Deborah Davis, the woman behind the Oscar-winning movie The Favourite, is also set to return to the series so we should expect drama, glitz, glamour and betrayal.

Deborah will be joined by writers Louise Ironside, joined by Charlotte Wolf, Francesca Forristal and Andrew Bampfield, with lead actors expected to reprise their roles too.

We know that BAFTA-nominated Ed Bazalgette will direct the first four episodes of season 2 as well, making it a very strong second season already, with plenty of fan favorites returning to our screens.

A release date for Marie Antoinette is not yet known, but episodes are available on demand via BBC iPlayer and PBS on demand. 

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress