Title: “The trial and execution of Louis XVI” The Countess of Charny; or, The Execution of King Louis XVI (Hardcover). He would not allow his counsellors to claim he was ignorant of the law, nor would he permit them to invoke pity with emotive language. Louis XVI — January 21st, 1793. Date published: August 12, 2020 2. This one comes from a royalist named Bernard, who described the events of January 21st in a letter to his mother: “[The king] wished to speak to the people from the scaffold but was interrupted by a drum roll and was seized by the executioners, who pushed him straight under the fatal blade. How many guards escorted King Louis the XVI to his execution in 1793? As Louis and his family took refuge in the chamber of the Legislative Assembly, the crowd outside bayed for their arrest and the abolition of the monarchy. The Jacobins within the Convention also supported the death penalty. Louis arose at five. Louis XVI (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the King of France from 1774 until 1792, when the monarchy was abolished during the French Revolution.His overthrow and execution ended a monarchy that was over 1,000 years old, although he was not the last French king.. Louis came from the House of Bourbon.He became the king at the age of 20, after the death of his grandfather Louis XV. 9. On January 21st 1793 Louis Capet, as he was by then officially known, was taken to the guillotine and decapitated before thousands of his former subjects. The Girondins, however, feared the ramifications of bowing to the Paris crowd and executing the king without a public mandate. URL: https://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/trial-execution-of-louis-xvi/ In a controversial legal move, the Convention’s deputies decided to conduct this trial themselves. He had no illusions about the outcome of the trial, as he told Malesherbes at their first interview: ‘I am sure they will make me perish. Because of this, the young prince was sidelined and not trained for royal duties. 5. An avid hunter like his grandfat… The French Revolution of 1789 saw the overthrow of the King Louis XVI, and a Republic put in its place based on the ideals of ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’ (the French for liberty, equality and brotherhood). All 693 deputies answered ‘Yes’. The former king was suspended from power, arrested and removed to the Temple, an ancient fortress in the northern quarter of Paris. Here you are! In the United States, a nation which had won its independence with the support of the dead king, the reaction was more restrained. All 693 deputies answered ‘Yes’. The Convention then debated the fate of the king, with the Jacobins demanding his execution and the Girondins supporting an ‘appeal to the people’. Louis XVI, 1781 © Louis was king of France when the monarchy was overthrown during the French Revolution. At 10 am, the carriage arrived at the Place de la Révolution, formerly the Place de Louis XV, a public square between the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries. In December 1792, the National Convention placed the deposed Louis XVI on trial. Pyramidology: Why did Ancient Egyptians build the pyramids. In Paris, the guillotine was located at the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde), located between the Champs-Elysées to the west and the Tuileries Garden to the east in Paris, France. Americans mourned the death of Louis the man – but they did not mourn the death of his monarchy. Public celebrations in memory to Louis only returned to France when his younger brother retook the throne in 1814. It was the Jacobins who won the day, gaining the support of the Plain and defeating the motion for an appel au peuple by 424 votes to 283. Today, on the anniversary of King Louis XVI's execution in 1793, we spotlight some facts about him and his wife Marie Antoinette that may help to … In 1789, in a last-ditch attempt to resolve his country's financial crisis, Louis assembled the States-General, a national assembly that represented the three "estates" of the French people--the nobles, the clergy, and the commons. Four days after Louis’ death, Britain expelled the French ambassador. However, Louis XVI and his reign were of interest as well. Why do you think many of the citizens of Paris were armed during the K ing’s procession through the streets of Paris? What was the mood of King Louis the XVI like in the moments before being executed? XVI, a monarch who ruled as king of France from 1774 until 1793, was a widely known ruler. I thought you might be interest in this from The London Times, Jan. 25, 1793, about the execution of King Louis XVI of France: LOUIS XVI. This shortly lead to the execution of Louis XVI and his wife a little later on. They have the power and the will to do so. On receiving this order Louis requested a three-day stay of execution, to farewell his wife and children and prepare “to appear in the presence of Almighty God”. The September Massacres two months earlier cast a long shadow over these proceedings. Since Christmas 1792, Girondin deputies had been lobbying for an appel au peuple (‘appeal to the people’) – in effect, a national referendum on whether the king should die. Both of his sons died in childhood, before the Bourbon Restoration; his only child to reach adulthood, Marie Therese, was given over to the Austrians in exchange for French prisoners of war, eventually dying childless in 1851. The anniversary of Louis death was made a national day of mourning. Louis XVI. In 1774, poor Louis took over the French throne from his grandfather, King Louis XV, who left him to clean up a tremendous economic crisis. The deputies voted 387 to 334 for the king’s execution. The Jury of deputies had to answer three questions. The news of Louis’ execution shocked Europe. The fate of the king was probably decided after the August 10th attack on the Tuileries. The king took off his coat at the foot of the scaffold. This issue further exposed the gulf between the Paris-centric Jacobins and the nationally-minded Girondins. He was the second son of Louis, Dauphin of France, and his German-born wife Maria Josepha. Find out how much do you know about ancient Egypt? Reign of Louis XVI of France. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms and Conditions, The truth about 'False Flags' from Nazi Germany, to the Vietnam War, The Battle of Isandlwana and the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. His execution caused shock waves and condemnation around the world, most notably in Britain, which within a fortnight was at war with France. In 1770, at the age of fifteen, Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette, the fourteen year old daughter of the Emperor and Empress of Austria. Controversially, the Convention itself would act as his judge and jury. The question then turned to the king’s fate. The French Revolution unfolded under his rule and eventually toppled him from power. ... King Louis XVI was called to be the last Bourbon King of france. It also protected him from any punishment other than dethronement. The Russian empress Catherine the Great also broke off diplomatic relations with France, while the rulers of Austria and Prussia ordered a significant escalation in military action against revolutionary France. The States-General had not been assembled since 1614, and the third estate--the commons--used the opportunity to declare itself the National Assembly, igniting the French Revolution. I love history and reading accounts from various papers and journals of momentous events. The Convention finalised the former king’s death warrant on January 20th and ordered his execution within 24 hours. He was only able to say these words in a strong voice: ‘I forgive my enemies. The execution of Louis XVI, by means of the guillotine, took place on 21 January 1793 at the Place de la Révolution ("Revolution Square", formerly Place Louis XV, and renamed Place de la Concorde in 17 Copyright: The content on this page may not be republished without our express permission. . But while the deposed king had masterful advocates and brilliant men at his side, he was damned by his own testimony. A major result of the French Revolution was the execution of Louis XVI, the monarch of France during the revolution. He was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy, it ended when he was executed for treason by a guillotine. King of France from 1774. 8. On January 21, he walked steadfastly to the guillotine and was executed. Execution of Louis XVI. 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