What is the author's tone in Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser?

The book is written in a semi-formal tone. While the book does not hold the stilted formality of technical writing, the details are historically accurate and represent an overall view of the time period and of Antoinette's life during this time. This means that most readers will know before picking up the book that Antoinette is famous for having lost her head on the guillotine. With that somber end in mind, some readers may lose sight of Antoinette's natural tendency to love life. That's not to say that her life is happy because there are many things about her life that are distressing. She is married and sent from her home and family at a young age only to find that her husband cares nothing for sex with her and she remains a virgin and, more importantly, childless.