‘Marie Antoinette’ Exhibition in the Petit Trianon

Last week, we saw the spectacular Exhibition marking the 20th Anniversary of Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ in the Petit Trianon of the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, which follows the celebrated ‘Marie Antoinette Style’ Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

From September 22, 2026, to January 24, 2027, the Palace of Versailles celebrates the twentieth anniversary of Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette with an exhibition at the Petit Trianon—designed in collaboration with the director—that explores the work’s genesis, aesthetic choices, and cultural impact.

Released in 2006 and filmed largely at the Palace of Versailles, Marie Antoinette boldly breaks away from the conventions of historical biography to explore—in an intimate manner—a fascinating figure long obscured by legend. Vilified during the French Revolution, sanctified under the Restoration, and later aestheticized from the Second Empire onwards, Marie Antoinette emerges under Sofia Coppola’s lens as a deeply human figure: a young woman grappling with isolation, boredom, and the constraints of court life.

Now considered a cult film, Marie Antoinette played a pivotal role in shaping a cultural icon that blends history, modernity, and pop imagery. Winner of the 2007 Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Sofia Coppola’s distinctive aesthetic—balancing historical accuracy, contemporary boldness, and pastel refinement—gave rise to a genuine “Marie Antoinette style,” the influence of which is still felt in fashion, design, and photography today.

Presented at the Petit Trianon, the exhibition—conceived in collaboration with Sofia Coppola—invites visitors behind the scenes of the film’s creation, showcasing original costumes by Milena Canonero, props, storyboards, annotated scripts, on-set photographs, set elements, and recreated spaces. Screenings allow visitors to view sequences in the very rooms where they were filmed, offering a unique experience where the historic setting and the cinematic reinterpretation dialogue with one another.

“During the production of Marie Antoinette, Versailles was far more than just a filming location: it became an integral part of the film’s language and atmosphere—a true character in the story. Returning twenty years later to the creative process that gave birth to the film, as well as the extraordinary work of the craftspeople who contributed to it—all within this exceptional setting—is a surprisingly moving experience.”

Sofia Coppola, Director

Filmed at Versailles and inspired by one of its most iconic figures, Marie Antoinette holds a unique place in the Palace’s contemporary history. Twenty years after the film’s release, this exhibition explores its lasting impact on the image of Marie Antoinette and Versailles, while highlighting the Palace’s role as a source of inspiration for cinema and fashion.

The Exhibition begins in the Chapel of the Petit Trianon with the outfits worn by Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman as Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI for their Wedding at Versailles.

In the main staircase hall of the Palace is the magnificent gown worn by Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette for her sumptuous Birthday Party.

There is a display of the splendid shoes and some of the source materials.

Quite fascinating were the displays showing the attention to detail that went into recreating some of the magnificent interiors, both within the Palace of Versailles and also on external sets.

In the kitchen were displays of some of the sumptuous foods created for the meal scenes, as well as the delicious source material which inspired those creations.

Upstairs, one of the meal scenes was recreated with the mannequins wearing the original costumes in the Dining Room, while the Grand salon depicted the scene when Marie Antoinette held an intimate dinner at the Petit Trianon.

In the Queen’s Boudoir was displayed a most provocative pose, which has become an iconic scene of the film, while the bedroom had the mannequin in one of the iconic Chemise de la Reine