In 1769 Vienna, Maria Theresa tells her daughter Marie Antoinette she is to marry the Louis XVI of France. Marie is excited to become the future Queen of France but grows dismayed upon learning her husband is a shy man more at home with locksmithing than attending parties. After countless attempts to please him, Louis reveals he cannot produce heirs, prompting Marie to associate with the power-hungry Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans.