Affair of the Diamond Necklace
Marie Antoinette's position at court improved when, after eight years of marriage, she started having children. She became increasingly unpopular among the people, however, with the French libelles accusing her of being profligate, promiscuous, harboring sympathies for France's perceived enemies—particularly her native Austria—and her children of being illegitimate. The false accusations of the Affair of the Diamond Necklace damaged her reputation further. During the Revolution, she became known as "Madame Déficit" because the country's financial crisis was blamed on her lavish spending and her opposition to the social and financial reforms of Turgot and Necker.