This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
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“Versailles Mondays” are what Emilia Schüle, who plays the eponymous lead in Marie Antoinette, calls the days the show is allowed to film inside the real-life hallowed palace (pictured above), when it’s closed to the public. “We all live in Paris while filming and our Mondays are usually very long,” the Russian-born German actor tells Radio Times. “We wake up at 4.30am to be on set for 5am and start filming with the first ray of sunlight.
“We shoot in the corridors, the exteriors and on the steps. We can’t touch or change anything.” The rest of the time is spent in the studio or in châteaux outside Paris that double up as Versailles… without the price tag. “It’s dream-like to spend so many months of your life in these places of perfection,” says Schüle.
That perfection is key to the world of Marie Antoinette, returning soon to BBC Two. France in 1783 is a world of beauty and decadence, from the locations to the clothes — which means three hours a day for Schüle to get into her full finery. And with a revolution on the horizon, the queen has had a style evolution — her outfits are more casual and darker, the fabrics heavier. And there are plenty of new wigs, which are hollow inside, keeping them light, despite their size.
The worst part, Schüle says, is wearing a corset — but she’s developed a few tricks. “Now, I put it on, but don’t close it entirely until after about two hours — my body heat warms up the fabric and it’s more stretchy. “Then I can eat and during lunch I open the corset a little bit — so there’s room to consume!”
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Marie Antoinette is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Season 2 is coming soon.
Laura Rutkowski is the Junior Commissioning Editor at Radio Times magazine, where she looks after a column called "What it's like to…", which spotlights behind-the-scenes roles within the TV and film industry – from stunt coordinators to costume designers. She loves finding out how productions are made and enjoys covering a wide variety of genres. Laura is half-American and half-British and joined Radio Times in 2022. She has a degree in Psychology and a Master's in Magazine Journalism.
