17. Sanson, the executioner, showing Marie Antoinette’s head to the people, 16 October 1793. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. It took Marie Antoinette and Louis seven years to consummate their marriage, and the story ends with her head chopped off. Below is the ultimate list with interesting facts about Marie Antoinette. The question has intrigued historians for 200 years. 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. China is the fifth member of this exclusive club, joining the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France. Marie Antoinette was also sentenced to death and was executed by Guillotine on the same year. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. When was Marie Antoinette executed? Marie Antoinette was welcomed in France at first. 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. Marie Antoinette was executed following a show trial in which the charges against her were almost entirely false. Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year. When was King Louis XVI killed? While Louis XVI was widely hated by his death, he didn’t seem to realize how to fix his screwed up country— until it … 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. 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? In 1770 at age 14, Marie Antoinette married the French dauphin Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France. 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. The daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I, she married Louis in 1770 to strengthen the French-Austrian alliance. 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. Facebook Comments. Her sister Maria Carolina was married to Ferdinand IV, King of Naples, for similar reasons. On October 16, 1923, Walt Disney and his brother Roy found the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood, California. In October 1789, the royal couple was forced to move from Versailles to Paris. 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. Though she has a reputation for excess, Marie Antoinette helped develop a practical “little white dress,” seen in this portrait painted after 1783. After the trial, he was proven to be guilty and was sentenced to death by execution. Why Marie Antoinette was Sent to Prison. 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. 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. The royal family had been compelled to leave Versailles in 1789 and live in captivity in Paris. Even though these allegations bore no credibility, they led to Marie Antoinette’s execution by guillotine in 1793. 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. The hole was overgrown with vegetation and guarded by vines and branches. Marie Therese. Imprisoned with the king, Marie Antoinette continued to plot. The 1785–1786 Affair of the Diamond Necklace further discredited her and reflected poorly on the monarchy. 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 is a former faculty member of the Humanist Institute. By most accounts, she was a devoted mother. 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. Just a year later, Marie was convicted and issued the same punishment. 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. 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. She was a political moderate, a supporter of the National Assembly and the Girondins, but an opponent of violence and radicalism. La Conciergerie. We aren’t 100% sure why Marie Antoinette had this thing, other than she thought it was neat. Louis XVI was executed on January 21, 1793. In January 1793, King Louis XVI was sentenced to death for conspiring against the state. Henri Sanson was appointed Executioner of Paris from April 1793, and would later execute Marie Antoinette. This failed escape was reportedly planned by Marie Antoinette. He grew up in Ireland and went to England to attend Oxford, where he graduated with honors in 1878. 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. Later that year, the French government announced a time of "Terror", when anyone against the revolution would be executed. At 12:15 on Wednesday 16 October 1793, Marie Antoinette was executed. 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 Guatemala national team was set to face off against Costa Rica on a Wednesday night in Guatemala City. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! In 1792, the French monarchy was abolished, and Louis and Marie-Antoinette were condemned for treason. The family was imprisoned in the Temple on August 13, 1792, and moved to the Conciergerie on August 1, 1793. 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. Maria Antonia’s mother was the powerful Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right. After receiving his degree, he stayed in Russia through the early ...read more. 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. 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 … Marie Antoinette also kept her own damp cave, I mean, private grotto on palace grounds. The family made several attempts to escape, but all failed. Louis is executed on the 21st of January 1793. Sounds more pleasant than the … 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". "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. She was born on the same day as the famous earthquake of Lisbon. 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 … 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. Marie Antoinette was born in Austria, the 15th of 16 children born to Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. A popular society figure known for his wit and flamboyant style, he published his own book of poems in 1881. Her youngest son Louis-Charles, later died of tuberculosis and malnutrition during the revolution. Marie Antoinette was sent to the guillotine on October 16, 1793. This then opened the eyes of the French about the revolution. Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year. 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. 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! 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. She was particularly disappointing to her brother, the Holy Roman Emperor, for her inability to further Austrian interests in France. Born in Estonia in 1893, Rosenberg studied architecture at the University of Moscow. It is located within the premises of the main Courthouse of Paris, next to the Revolutionary Tribunal. On 14 October, Marie was taken to face her enemies at the Revolutionary Tribunal. Kissinger accepted, but Tho declined the award until such time as “peace is truly established.” ...read more. Her charisma and lightness contrasted with the withdrawn and uninspiring personality of her husband. "— often translated as "Let them eat cake!" How old was Marie Antoinette's first daughter when she was freed? Marie Antoinette’s father, born François Étienne, Duke of Lorraine, became Holy Roman Emperor Franz I, but only with his wife’s help. She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war. The Death Of Marie Antoinette. [citation needed] Leboucher. Marie Antoinette, formerly welcomed, became vilified for her spending habits and her opposition to reforms. Author: maureen. She hoped for foreign intervention to end the revolution and free the royal family. The phrase was actually first seen in print in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "The Confessions," written before Marie Antoinette was queen. 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. 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. 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. In this scandal, she was accused of having an affair with a cardinal in order to obtain a costly diamond necklace. Her name has become significant with careless expenses and contempt for the poor, as well as an extravagant lifestyle in Versailles. After her mother died in 1780, she became more extravagant, which led to growing resentment. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. 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. Her lavish spending, furthermore, did not significantly contribute to France's economic troubles before 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. She was reviled by the French public for her lavish spending. 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? 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. 37. We had a beautiful dream, and that was all. 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. 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. Queen Marie Antoinette of France was born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia in 1755. So, timid little Louis XVI was forced out to the guillotine on January 21st, 1793, and executed by his people. From birth, she lived the life of wealthy royalty, educated by private tutors in music and languages. How Marie Antoinette's Legacy Was Sullied By Vicious Songs About Her Death. 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. He ascended the throne in 1774 as Louis XVI. 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. The role Marie Antoinette played in French governmental affairs, both domestic and foreign, was likely greatly exaggerated. She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war. Hennard then turned the gun on himself and died by suicide. The book, about the struggles of an orphan girl who grows up to become a governess, was an immediate popular success. Her body was then taken and dumped in an unmarked mass grave in the Rue d'Anjou. Marie Antoinette was publicly executed by guillotine for treason in Paris, France, on 16 October 1793, months after the death of her husband. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. 1795. Did Marie Antoinette say "Let Them Eat Cake"? In his speech, the future president denounced the act and outlined ...read more, Oscar Wilde is born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. On January 21, 1793, King Louis XVI was executed. 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. Jone Johnson Lewis is a women's history writer who has been involved with the women's movement since the late 1960s. Nine months after the execution of her husband, the former King Louis XVI of France, Marie Antoinette follows him to the guillotine. At a time of economic turmoil in France, she lived extravagantly and encouraged her husband to resist reform of the monarchy. 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. Two years later, the attempted escape of the royal couple from Paris was stopped at Varennes on October 21, 1791. 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. Paintings of the family stressed her domestic role. Marie-Antoinette was guillotined in 1793 after the Revolutionary Tribunal found her guilty of crimes against the state. When was Marie Antoinette's first daughter freed from prison? Louis XVI was the last king of France (1774–92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789. 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. 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. Until her death, she supported the monarchy against reforms and against the French Revolution. January, 1793. She was buried in the Saint Denis Basilica. Marie Antoinette, meanwhile, was still in limbo. 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. 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. Her head was exhibited to a cheering crowd. In 1793, Marie Antoinette was beheaded, and many people often wonder why this act took place. Marie Antoinette's first child was a girl, ... Louis XVI was executed on January 21, 1793; Marie followed 10 months later, on October 16. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.