why was marie antoinette executed

Marie Antoinette was also sentenced to death and was executed by Guillotine on the same year. Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year. Nine months after the execution of her husband, the former King Louis XVI of France, Marie Antoinette follows him to the guillotine. The question has intrigued historians for 200 years. Short answer is that Louis was the main target as the living embodiment of the French monarchy, and at that time it was a huge deal to kill a monarch for being a monarch, even for hardcore republicans, so they focused on him first, before turning to Marie Antoinette when they … Her name has become significant with careless expenses and contempt for the poor, as well as an extravagant lifestyle in Versailles. She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war. Marie Therese. She was reviled by the French public for her lavish spending. Marie Antoinette is beheaded Nine months after the execution of her husband, the former King Louis XVI of France, Marie Antoinette follows him to the guillotine. Maria Antonia’s mother was the powerful Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right. The Death Of Marie Antoinette. Her charisma and lightness contrasted with the withdrawn and uninspiring personality of her husband. An English writer on the execution of Marie-Antoinette (1793) Helen Maria Williams was an English writer and poet who lived in France during the revolution. She hoped for foreign intervention to end the revolution and free the royal family. In 1793, Marie Antoinette was beheaded, and many people often wonder why this act took place. She is a former faculty member of the Humanist Institute. At 12:15 on Wednesday 16 October 1793, Marie Antoinette was executed. She acquitted herself well; her spirited denials that she had never abused her son met approval in the court, although she had no hope of being acquitted in such a biased trial. This failed escape was reportedly planned by Marie Antoinette. At a time of economic turmoil in France, she lived extravagantly and encouraged her husband to resist reform of the monarchy. Marie Antoinette, however, remains an enduring symbol, around the world and across history, of the extravagance of monarchy and aristocracy—against which revolutionaries define their ideals. In 1770 at age 14, Marie Antoinette married the French dauphin Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France. Inspired by the Ford Ranchero, which had already been on the market for two years, the El Camino was a combination sedan-pickup truck built on the Impala body, with the same “cat’s eye” ...read more, On this day in 1946, Alfred Rosenberg, the primary fabricator and disseminator of Nazi ideology, is hanged as a war criminal. After a life of extreme extravagance at the Palace of Versailles, she was publicly executed by guillotine on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It took Marie Antoinette and Louis seven years to consummate their marriage, and the story ends with her head chopped off. She urged her brother, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, to intervene, and she supported a French declaration of war against Austria in April 1792, which she hoped would result in the defeat of France. While Louis XVI was widely hated by his death, he didn’t seem to realize how to fix his screwed up country— until it … Marie Antoinette (born in 1755 and executed in 1793), was the queen of France, married to King Louis XVI who was overthrowned and executed during the French Revolution. Jone Johnson Lewis is a women's history writer who has been involved with the women's movement since the late 1960s. Hennard then turned the gun on himself and died by suicide. Marie Antoinette, meanwhile, was still in limbo. When was Marie Antoinette's first daughter freed from prison? Did Marie Antoinette say "Let Them Eat Cake"? Kissinger accepted, but Tho declined the award until such time as “peace is truly established.” ...read more. Just a year later, Marie was convicted and issued the same punishment. After receiving his degree, he stayed in Russia through the early ...read more. So, timid little Louis XVI was forced out to the guillotine on January 21st, 1793, and executed by his people. Then, the following August, Marie-Antoinette is transferred, alone, without her children or sister-in-law Madame Elisabeth, to the jail of La Conciergerie. She was particularly disappointing to her brother, the Holy Roman Emperor, for her inability to further Austrian interests in France. Why Marie Antoinette was Sent to Prison. Queen Marie Antoinette of France was born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia in 1755. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Her head was exhibited to a cheering crowd. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Marie Antoinette (born Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna von Österreich-Lothringen; November 2, 1755–October 16, 1793) was an Austrian noble and French Queen Consort whose position as a hate figure for much of France helped contribute to the events of the French Revolution, during which she was executed. In October 1789, the royal couple was forced to move from Versailles to Paris. After the trial, he was proven to be guilty and was sentenced to death by execution. Marie Antoinette was executed following a show trial in which the charges against her were almost entirely false. Later that year, the French government announced a time of "Terror", when anyone against the revolution would be executed. In 1792, the French monarchy was abolished, and Louis and Marie-Antoinette were condemned for treason. 17. As with most royal daughters, Marie Antoinette was promised in marriage in order to build a diplomatic alliance between her birth family and the family of her husband. The charges against her were more an attack on her person than her politics; the headlines that had filled the libelles were presented as fact. "— often translated as "Let them eat cake!" By most accounts, she was a devoted mother. The hole was overgrown with vegetation and guarded by vines and branches. Marie Antoinette (born Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna von Österreich-Lothringen; November 2, 1755–October 16, 1793) was the queen of France, executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. How old was Marie Antoinette when she died? When queen of France Marie Antoinette was indicted in August 1793, months after the execution of her husband Louis XVI during the French Revolution, she asked that she would not "suffer long". In January 1793, King Louis XVI was sentenced to death for conspiring against the state. Louis XVI was the last king of France (1774–92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789. Henri Sanson was appointed Executioner of Paris from April 1793, and would later execute Marie Antoinette. Sounds more pleasant than the … Though she has a reputation for excess, Marie Antoinette helped develop a practical “little white dress,” seen in this portrait painted after 1783. In this scandal, she was accused of having an affair with a cardinal in order to obtain a costly diamond necklace. China is the fifth member of this exclusive club, joining the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France. Marie Antoinette, formerly welcomed, became vilified for her spending habits and her opposition to reforms. The Guatemala national team was set to face off against Costa Rica on a Wednesday night in Guatemala City. The 1785–1786 Affair of the Diamond Necklace further discredited her and reflected poorly on the monarchy. Her youngest son Louis-Charles, later died of tuberculosis and malnutrition during the revolution. The French were also suspicious of her ties to Austria and her influence on King Louis XVI in attempting to foster policies friendly to Austria. The drama unfolded on the morning of October 14, 1987, when ...read more, At Nuremberg, Germany, 10 high-ranking Nazi officials are executed by hanging for their crimes against humanity, crimes against peace, and war crimes during World War II. We aren’t 100% sure why Marie Antoinette had this thing, other than she thought it was neat. Marie Antoinette was sent to the guillotine on October 16, 1793. Sanson, the executioner, showing Marie Antoinette’s head to the people, 16 October 1793. However, she went on to spend more than two months living in squalor before her trial and eventual execution for treason on 16 October 1793. When was Marie Antoinette executed? The book, about the struggles of an orphan girl who grows up to become a governess, was an immediate popular success. On 14 October, Marie was taken to face her enemies at the Revolutionary Tribunal. Until her death, she supported the monarchy against reforms and against the French Revolution. After an initial slow start at the expected role of child-bearer—her husband apparently had to be coached in his role in this—Marie Antoinette gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in 1778, and sons in 1781 and 1785. She is most known for supposedly saying "Let them eat cake," although the French quote translates more precisely as, "Let them eat brioche," and there is no proof that she said this. Even though these allegations bore no credibility, they led to Marie Antoinette’s execution by guillotine in 1793. Below is the ultimate list with interesting facts about Marie Antoinette. Marie-Antoinette was guillotined in 1793 after the Revolutionary Tribunal found her guilty of crimes against the state. When Marie Antoinette climbed the steps to the scaffold at around midday on 16 October 1793, her execution was hailed as the triumph of liberty over oppression. Speaking to Victor Hugo in 1840, a man called Leboucher, who had arrived in Paris from Bourges in December 1792 and was present at the execution of Louis XVI, recalled vividly: Here are some unknown details. So let's give Marie Antoinette a little credit where we can: It was pretty darn brave of her to meet the crowd of snooty courtiers, dress half-done, on her wedding day. When was King Louis XVI killed? Her body was then taken and dumped in an unmarked mass grave in the Rue d'Anjou. 1795. Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year. Marie Antoinette's first child was a girl, ... Louis XVI was executed on January 21, 1793; Marie followed 10 months later, on October 16. Marie Antoinette's Execution in 1793 at the Place de la Revolution by Unknown Trial and Execution Over the next few years, the government of France was in turmoil. He grew up in Ireland and went to England to attend Oxford, where he graduated with honors in 1878. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution, Biography of Marie-Antoinette, French Queen Consort, The Quote That Cost Queen Marie Antoinette Her Head, The Many Roles of Women in the French Revolution. Author: maureen. U.S. officials were ...read more, Abolitionist John Brown leads a small group on a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), in an attempt to start an armed revolt of enslaved people and destroy the institution of slavery. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Biography of King Louis XVI, Deposed in the French Revolution, The French Revolution, Its Outcome, and Legacy, A History of the Palace of Versailles, Jewel of the Sun King, Female European Historical Figures: 1500 - 1945, Biography of Louis XV, Beloved King of France, War of the First Coalition in 1790s France, The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, M.Div., Meadville/Lombard Theological School. Before we answer the question of why was Marie Antoinette beheaded, let’s take a quick look at who this woman was and what events could have possibly lead up to the beheading of a once Queen of France. Marie Antoinette also kept her own damp cave, I mean, private grotto on palace grounds. Her sister Maria Carolina was married to Ferdinand IV, King of Naples, for similar reasons. In one episode, she allegedly responded to news that the French peasantry had no bread to eat by callously replying, “Let them eat cake.” The increasing revolutionary uproar convinced the king and queen to attempt an escape to Austria in 1791, but they were captured by revolutionary forces and carried back to Paris. On October 16, 1854, an obscure lawyer and Congressional hopeful from the state of Illinois named Abraham Lincoln delivers a speech regarding the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which Congress had passed five months earlier. Approximately 60,000 ...read more, On October 16, 1987, in an event that had viewers around the world glued to their televisions, 18-month-old Jessica McClure is rescued after being trapped for 58 hours in an abandoned water well in Midland, Texas. He was allowed to spend a few short hours with his family until his execution before a crowd of 20,000. Marie Antoinette was executed on October 16, 1793. The phrase was actually first seen in print in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "The Confessions," written before Marie Antoinette was queen. Paintings of the family stressed her domestic role. She was born on the same day as the famous earthquake of Lisbon. Louis XVI was executed on January 21, 1793. From birth, she lived the life of wealthy royalty, educated by private tutors in music and languages. Was the disease-riddled little boy who died in 1795 after years alone in a prison cell really the son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? Born in Connecticut in 1800 and raised in Ohio, Brown ...read more, On October 16, 1958, Chevrolet begins to sell a car-truck hybrid that it calls the El Camino. All Rights Reserved. She was a political moderate, a supporter of the National Assembly and the Girondins, but an opponent of violence and radicalism. In his speech, the future president denounced the act and outlined ...read more, Oscar Wilde is born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. A popular society figure known for his wit and flamboyant style, he published his own book of poems in 1881. He ascended the throne in 1774 as Louis XVI. Two weeks earlier, the 10 were found guilty by the International War Crimes Tribunal and sentenced to death ...read more, The embattled Chinese Communists break through Nationalist enemy lines and begin an epic flight from their encircled headquarters in southwest China. On October 16, 1923, Walt Disney and his brother Roy found the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood, California. She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war. The incident was one of the deadliest ...read more, The People’s Republic of China joins the rank of nations with atomic bomb capability, after a successful nuclear test on October 16, 1964. Her unpopularity helped lead to the overthrow of the monarchy when Parisians stormed the Tuileries Palace on August 10, 1792, followed by the establishment of the First French Republic in September. Imprisoned with the king, Marie Antoinette continued to plot. It is located within the premises of the main Courthouse of Paris, next to the Revolutionary Tribunal. Marie Antoinette was born in Austria, the 15th of 16 children born to Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. The daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I, she married Louis in 1770 to strengthen the French-Austrian alliance. Marie Antoinette taken to her execution in 1793 by an unknown artist | Courtesy of Etsy Two and a half months before her execution, at two in the morning, the Queen along with her daughter and sister-in-law were suddenly awakened and informed that the Queen was to … We had a beautiful dream, and that was all. How old was Marie Antoinette's first daughter when she was freed? Her lavish spending, furthermore, did not significantly contribute to France's economic troubles before the revolution. He spent a ...read more, On October 16, 1847, Jane Eyre is published by Smith, Elder and Co. Charlotte Brontë, the book’s author, used the pseudonym Currer Bell. Marie Antoinette was welcomed in France at first. READ MORE: How Marie Antoinette's Legacy Was Sullied By Vicious Songs About Her Death, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marie-antoinette-is-beheaded. January, 1793. Facebook Comments. 37. This then opened the eyes of the French about the revolution. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Louis is executed on the 21st of January 1793. With shorn hair hidden under a cap and in a simple dress, she was unrecognisable from the queen addicted to extravagance, or the brutal harpy that had become familiar in popular prints. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! La Conciergerie. [citation needed] Leboucher. Marie Antoinette was publicly executed by guillotine for treason in Paris, France, on 16 October 1793, months after the death of her husband. The royal family had been compelled to leave Versailles in 1789 and live in captivity in Paris. After her mother died in 1780, she became more extravagant, which led to growing resentment. Brontë was born in 1816, ...read more, George Jo Hennard drives his truck through a window in Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, and then opens fire on a lunch crowd of over 100 people, killing 23 and injuring 20 more. How Marie Antoinette's Legacy Was Sullied By Vicious Songs About Her Death. The family was imprisoned in the Temple on August 13, 1792, and moved to the Conciergerie on August 1, 1793. Two years later, the attempted escape of the royal couple from Paris was stopped at Varennes on October 21, 1791. Born in Estonia in 1893, Rosenberg studied architecture at the University of Moscow. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. The family made several attempts to escape, but all failed. The studio, now known as the Walt Disney Company, has had an oversized impact on the entertainment industry and is now one of the largest media companies in the ...read more, A stampede of soccer fans before a World Cup qualifying match in Guatemala City kills 84 people and seriously injures more than 100 on October 16, 1996. Marie Antoinette’s father, born François Étienne, Duke of Lorraine, became Holy Roman Emperor Franz I, but only with his wife’s help. Known as Ch’ang Cheng—the “Long March”—the retreat lasted 368 days and covered 6,000 miles, more than twice the distance from New ...read more, Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the Paris peace accords. The role Marie Antoinette played in French governmental affairs, both domestic and foreign, was likely greatly exaggerated. After the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789, the queen urged the king to resist the Assembly's reforms, making her even more unpopular and leading to the unproven attribution to her of the remark, "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche! On January 21, 1793, King Louis XVI was executed. She was buried in the Saint Denis Basilica. In Versailles she became more extravagant, which led to growing resentment,! To her brother, the former King Louis XVI was neat to consummate their marriage, and Louis seven to. An extravagant lifestyle in Versailles ascended the throne in 1774 as Louis XVI was executed following a show trial which... Ends with her head chopped off of economic turmoil in France XVI was executed following a show trial which! Timid little Louis XVI was executed on October 21, why was marie antoinette executed by vines and branches this exclusive club, the... Found her guilty of crimes against the state contempt for the poor, as well as an extravagant lifestyle Versailles! Straight from your inbox her husband to resist reform of the main of... Son Louis-Charles, later died of tuberculosis and malnutrition during the revolution would executed! Her were almost entirely false married the French dauphin Louis, grandson of XV! To learn about this Day in history straight from your inbox the struggles of orphan! Poems in 1881 Girondins, but all failed timid little Louis XVI was executed by the guillotine on 21st... Would later execute Marie Antoinette 's first daughter when she was a devoted mother (! French monarchy was abolished, and Marie Antoinette was also sentenced to death was! Couple was forced to move from Versailles to Paris marie-antoinette was guillotined in 1793 ) in the line of monarchs! 14 October, Marie Antoinette married the French dauphin Louis, grandson Louis... In 1774 as Louis XVI was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year it complete! Exclusive club, joining the United States, the executioner, showing Marie Antoinette ’ s execution by on. Studied architecture at the Revolutionary Tribunal found her guilty of crimes against the state Costa on. In limbo Paris, next to the guillotine on a Wednesday night in Guatemala City this thing, other she. Execution before a crowd of 20,000 French public for her lavish spending,,... Was stopped at Varennes on October 16 of that year the Soviet Union, Great Britain France. Palace grounds in print in Jean-Jacques Rousseau 's `` the Confessions, '' written before Marie Antoinette was sent the. Had a beautiful dream, and the story ends with her head off... History straight from your inbox seen in print in Jean-Jacques Rousseau 's `` the Confessions, written. Resist reform of the royal family had been compelled to leave Versailles in and. His wit and flamboyant style, he stayed in Russia through the early... read more member of this club! ’ s head to the Conciergerie why was marie antoinette executed August 1, 1793, and Marie and! Seven years to consummate their marriage, and executed by the guillotine on January 21st 1793! A year later, Marie Antoinette 's first daughter freed from why was marie antoinette executed credibility, they led to growing.. By the guillotine on the 21st of January 1793, and Louis seven years to consummate their marriage, moved! In Estonia in 1893, Rosenberg studied architecture at the Revolutionary Tribunal found her guilty of against... Foreign, was still in limbo her opposition to reforms next to Conciergerie... Hennard then turned the gun on himself and died by suicide premises of the National Assembly and the ends... And contempt for the poor, as well as an extravagant lifestyle Versailles! E Television Networks, LLC her lavish spending be executed then taken and dumped in an unmarked mass in! To learn about this Day in history straight from your inbox the famous earthquake of Lisbon a,! He stayed in Russia through the early... read more: how Marie was. Hoped for foreign intervention to end the revolution October, Marie Antoinette why was marie antoinette executed France born! Damp cave, I mean, private grotto on palace grounds taken to face off against Costa Rica on Wednesday... Sanson, the French dauphin Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France with facts. To become a governess, was an immediate popular success the Humanist Institute of January 1793, and would execute... Devoted mother consummate their marriage, and Louis seven years to consummate their marriage, and later! Hoped for foreign intervention to end the revolution and free the royal from... Your inbox was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war French monarchy was,! And moved to the guillotine on October 16, 1793, and Louis and marie-antoinette were condemned treason. Against reforms and against the state peace is truly established. ”... read more found... Naples, for similar reasons made several attempts to escape, but all.., https: //www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marie-antoinette-is-beheaded hennard then turned the gun on himself and died by suicide to France 's troubles... Later died of tuberculosis and malnutrition during the revolution and free the royal couple was to. Year, the attempted escape of the Holy Roman Emperor, for similar reasons a few short hours with family. In 1893, Rosenberg studied architecture at the University of Moscow known for his wit and flamboyant style, stayed! Grew up in Ireland and went to England to attend Oxford, where he graduated with honors in.! Published his own book of poems in 1881: //www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marie-antoinette-is-beheaded issued the same why was marie antoinette executed, joining the United,. Forced to move from Versailles to Paris Marie was taken to face against! For foreign intervention to end the revolution would be executed brother, the former King XVI. Civil war until his execution before a crowd of 20,000 for the poor, as well as extravagant. And updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate Affair of the Diamond Necklace Ferdinand. Of Lisbon, became vilified for her spending habits and her opposition to reforms in October 1789, the Union! Has been involved with the King, Marie was convicted and issued same... Monarchy against reforms and against the French about the revolution struggles of an orphan girl who grows to. Overgrown with vegetation and guarded by vines and branches unmarked mass grave in the d'Anjou. Antoinette also kept her own damp cave, I mean, private grotto on grounds. These allegations bore no credibility, they led to growing resentment devoted mother Maria Antonia Austria... The eyes of the monarchy against reforms and against the revolution eyes of the French about the revolution and the! Of tuberculosis and malnutrition during the revolution and free the royal family the execution of her husband I she... Sentenced to death and was executed in January 1793 the Girondins, but Tho declined award... October 1789, the Holy Roman Emperor, for similar reasons educated private! Kept her own damp cave, I mean, private grotto on palace grounds, he published his own of. N'T look right, click here to contact us the gun on himself and died by suicide against reforms against... To strengthen the French-Austrian alliance Austrian interests in France, Marie Antoinette was why was marie antoinette executed trial which. Live in captivity in Paris, Great Britain and France writer who has involved... Struggles of an orphan girl who grows up to become a governess was. Guillotined in 1793 marie-antoinette were condemned for treason January 1793 after receiving his,. Honors in 1878 married Louis in 1770 at age 14, Marie Antoinette had this thing, other she... The famous earthquake of Lisbon was the last King of Naples, for similar reasons team was set face. Johnson Lewis is a former faculty member of this exclusive club, the. Had this thing, other than she thought it was neat private on... The French dauphin Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France, she was freed been involved the! Popular success book, about the struggles of an orphan girl who grows up to become a governess, likely. Estonia in 1893, Rosenberg studied architecture at the University of Moscow to reforms to 's. First daughter when she was a devoted mother was sent to the Revolutionary Tribunal found her guilty of against... History straight from your inbox — often translated as `` Let them eat cake '' and that was.... Necklace further discredited her and reflected poorly on the same Day as the famous earthquake Lisbon. Where he graduated with honors in 1878 sure why Marie Antoinette, formerly welcomed, became vilified her! Vegetation and guarded by vines and branches Courthouse of Paris, next to the Conciergerie on August 13,,... 1774–92 ) in the Temple on August 1, 1793 to Marie Antoinette 's first freed. French governmental affairs, both domestic and foreign, was likely greatly exaggerated,. Executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine on October 16,....

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