Wednesday 21 January 2015

A Digest of Louis XVI

Louis XVI (Versailles, France, 23rd August 1754 – Paris, France, 21st January 1793) 


Louis XVI by Joseph-Siffrein Duplessis , 1776
Louis XVI by Joseph-Siffrein Duplessis, 1776
On this day in 1793, Louis XVI died on the guillotine. Louis has visited the salon many times and will be a key player in my forthcoming book, Life in the Georgian Court, and I thought this would be a fine opportunity to look back on the posts in which he has featured.

I hope you will enjoy this gallop back into the stories of a most unfortunate king.


"I Die Innocent": The Life of Louis XVI

What makes a king?

The Last Months of King Louis XVI

A closer look at the final months in the life of the king.

Maximilien Robespierre Welcomes Louis XVI

What happened when a young Robespierre waited in the rain to greet the king...

A Parisian Fireworks Disaster

When a crowd gathered to celebrate the marriage of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, terrible tragedy struck.


The Marriage of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI
A happy day for the Dauphin and Archduchess.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.


Pen and Sword
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)

6 comments:

Alonso Quijano said...

I came across a funny account of the intimate side of his marriage. Unfortunately I don't remember the source. Anyway, Marie Antoinette was not getting pregnant. So her mama, Empress Marie Theresia of Austria, sent Antoinette's brother, co-emperor Joseph II, to check things out. Joseph reported as follows: "He has excellent erections. He arrives in the bedchamber with an erection, wishes his wife the time of day, and inserts. He remains for about a minute or so, then withdraws, wishes her good night, and leaves the room, still with the erection. It's incomprehensible."

The good Empress decided to give her daughter some advice: "Are you sure you aren't too cold and distant with your husband? Do you entreat him tenderly to remain longer with you, or do you remain silent?" Etc. They must have finally figured it out.

Katherine Pym said...

King Louis XVI went to his death with dignity and sufferance. What a tragedy that was.

Catherine Curzon said...

Love this story!

Catherine Curzon said...

Agreed!

Queen of Snark said...

Louis died far better than he ever lived. Like Nicholas II, he was not the monarch for the times, and also like Nicholas II, he was blessed--or cursed--with an unpopular wife.

There is also the story that Joseph II had to persuade Louis to have the surgery necessary to make sex possible--and profitable. Poor Joe!

Catherine Curzon said...

Ouch!