<human>:  What was the significance of Marie Antoinette in French history?
<bot>: Marie Antoinette was a major figure in French history, both before and during the French Revolution. As the wife of Louis XVI and the last Queen of France, she became one of the most iconic symbols of the ancien régime and a lightning rod for popular discontent. Her death by guillotine helped to turn the growing public support away from the aristocracy and towards the revolutionaries, which eventually led to the replacement of the monarchy with a republic. In hindsight, Marie Antoinette's actions during the Revolution were largely seen as catalysts for the decline of the monarchy, and her legacy as a controversial figure in French history remains today.