Daniel Vincent Kelley's Theory regarding this phrase
First I want to point out that while it is CLAIMED in the article that Marie Antoinette was kind and noble and gracious of the peasants, NOTHING is cited to prove such. The one Antoinette quote that is offered to this end, smacks of sociopathology or her recognition that she would promote her OWN cause, by offering kindness to those who are proving themselves kind to her. There's nothing in the phrase to indicate that she was speaking of the whole of the French people, but it seems she was speaking about some particular people who had been particularly kind to her. Calculating psychopaths can be kind for this reason, so that they will enjoy camaraderie with their aids. So, this statement, that she felt she should be nice to the people who were being nice to her, certainly does NOT certify Marie Antoinette as kind hearted or noble. I suspect, that much as the phrase is thrown around today, it was probably thrown around by the clique of it's originator. They probably had a real laugh, suggesting things the peasants could eat, when they ran out of bread as happened under the leadership of every dictatorial monarchy. Here's how I imagine the phrase came to be said by Marie Antoinette is she heard her royal family, her mom and dad and step parents, maybe her grandparents, talking about what had been said in an age past, when the peasants ran out of food and started eying the national leadership as cause. Then, when she found herself in the situation, she used what was in her circle a cliche, that was widely unknown to the rest of the world. She probably didn't think much of saying it, she probably thought it would be received by her audience as cute and figured it would never get around, never become more widely known that she said it AND probably she hadn't really considered how callous it is when people are starving, to make light of it. So, my guess, is that, EXACTLY as the phrase is thrown around today for it being so pithy and the situation so often endured, peasants starving, Marie-Thérèse originated it, the phrase circulated amongst Royalty for 100 years, probably spoken of at dinner parties how pithy was Marie-Thérèse, how callous and witty and devilishly fun (from the sadistic royal perspective). So Marie-Thérèse originates it, Marie Antoinette's family speaks of it, tells the story. Marie Antoinette happens upon the same situation, bread shortage, she rehashes the phrase originated by Marie-Thérèse. Rouseau writing of it, attributing it to a Princess who he had not heard first hand say it, proves that the phrase was circulating in royal and educated circles. He says some earlier royal said it, presumably she said it to other royals and presumably Rouseau similarly heard it spoken by royals. So, obviously, if Marie-Thérèse said it, 100 years before Rouseau wrote it, obviously the phrase was conveyed by some royal story teller, who probably blathered on and on about all the corruption and hi-jinks those callous witty royals do, for love of reliving the old times and as "lessons" to the young royals on how to live. Marie Antoinette saying it, in royal company, would be like her saying, I'm on your side royal friends. It's basically a slightly witty way for Marie Antoinette to say she doesn't care how the peasants get through their hard times, how the royals deal with the peasants through those hard times, callous, is her intent and plan. It was a way of declaring her loyalty and making light of the situation. Many here have claimed that because Rouseau wrote it before Antoinette could possibly have said it, means that Antoinette never said it. That's OBVIOUSLY nonsense. She OBVIOUSLY didn't originate the phrase, credit Marie-Thérèse, but that wouldn't prevent her from spouting cliche as so many nim wits make habit.