How did Louis 16th and Marie Antoinette lead an extravagant life?

Answer 1

They did not live a very extravagant life, especially not Louis XVI. He only liked to go hunting and work at the forge. He did not care too much about clothing and his dressers handled all matters concerning his wardrobe. Marie Antoinette did have a very strong focus on vogues, and no only concerning fashion. She also had gardens designed around her Petit Trianon (which had been a present from Louis XVI and had been build by Louis XV) and she had the hameau build.

Though, all together, they did not spend half as much as their predecessors.

Louis XIV had designed the absolute monarchy since he strongly promoted the Divine Rights of Kings which meant Kings had royal absolutism. This was also called the old regime (ancien regime). Louis XVI was born at Versailles and since he was raised according to this regime, he couldn't think of any other way of being a King. This was normal to him, as it had been to his predecessor Louis XV (his grandfather). Marie Antoinette came from the Austrian court (and Austria was an Empire, so not a monarchy). It was decided long before she was shipped of to France that she would marry the French dauphin, and so she was taught all the important etiquette rules of the French court and how the royals were to live.

They both were raised in a world where money was always around and there was always enough of it.