The French Revolution and the end of the Versailles epoch are events that will always be linked to Louis XVI’s reign.
Here is a look at the famous ascent and descent of the previous French king.
Who was Louis XVI? Marie Antoinette’s husband
Prior to the French Revolution of 1789, Louis XVI, who was born in August 1754, was the final monarch in the line of Bourbon kings to rule France.
He was the child of Maria Josepha of Saxony and Louis, Dauphin of France, son and heir presumptive of King Louis XV.
He succeeded his father as Dauphin in 1765 after his death.
Then, on May 10, 1774, he succeeded his grandfather as King of France and Navarre, a position he held until September 4, 1791, when he was given the title of King of France.
Louis-Auguste married Archduchess Marie Antoinette on May 16, 1770, when he was just 15 years old. She was the youngest daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and his wife, the empress, and his second cousin once removed.
What happened to Louis XVI?
Louis XVI encountered animosity from the French populace when he was king.
As the 18th century came to a close, France was on the verge of going bankrupt due to its expensive participation in the American Revolution and King Louis XVI’s lavish spending.
Additionally, the poor and peasants had become uneasy due to multiple years of poor harvests, drought, cattle diseases, and increasing bread costs.
Events like the storming of the Bastille, which caused riots in Paris to force Louis to finally recognise the legislative authority of the National Assembly, were characterised by rising tensions and violence.
Many expressed their desperation and contempt for a government that levied high taxes without offering any relief.
Marie Antoinette had also grown to be despised by the French, along with Louis XVI.
Because of this, in October 1789, the French people marched on the royal palace at Versailles, starting the French Revolution, which helped to shape modern democracies by demonstrating the strength of the people’s will.
The royal couple faced such ferocious resistance in June 1791 that they were compelled to flee to Austria.
The monarchy was dissolved as a result of the royal couple’s capture and imprisonment by the sans-culottes one year later, in 1792.
The National Convention tried Louis XVI for treason in November after finding proof of his disagreements with Austria and other foreign countries.
On January 21, 1793, Louis was put to death by the guillotine, a device developed for quickly carrying out beheading executions.
His wife suffered the same fate nine months later.
