King Louis XVI (1754-1793) and Marie Antoinette of Austria (1755-1793)

[Cory]

Masses for Louis XVI in France and other countries these days:

Messes pour le repos de l'âme du Roi Martyr, Louis XVI le B

[An Ard Ri]

Louis XVI – a Victim of the Revolution?

Louis XVI – a Victim of the Revolution?

[Furienna]

I do see him as a victim of the revolution. Sure, I'm sure that he made his mistakes. But he did never deserve to be executed.

[An Ard Ri]

A chair made for Marie Antoinette is on sale at Christie's!

Marie Antoinette's armchair among highlights in Christie's Important French Furniture and Works of Art sale - Alain.R.Truong

[CyrilVladisla]

How many of the French aristocrats were opposed to Marie Antoinette because she was the Austrian Woman?

[Furienna]

She was deeply unpopular, but I don't know if the aristocrats disliked her more than any others.

[eya]

A Queen in Versailles: Tokyo celebrates Marie-Antoinette with exhibition | art and culture | Hindustan Times

Originally Posted by Cory

Masses for Louis XVI this January:

https://www.messes-louisxvi.com/

Count of Paris and the Countess of Paris arrive in Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois for the commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the death of Louis XVI

https://www.facebook.com/la.couronne...82498791831984

[An Ard Ri]

The future Queen of France was born on November 2nd, 1755

The Birth of Marie Antoinette | History Today

[CyrilVladisla]

When Marie Antoinette made her initial appearance in Paris, a crowd of 50,000 Parisians grew so uncontrollable that approximately thirty people were trampled to death.

[An Ard Ri]

Mass at St Denis to mark the execution of King Louis XVI .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DkEyAWYojk&t=23s

[Valerie Rose]

Thank you for that video, An Ard Ri.
A very poignant occasion.
I see the Mass was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Anjou.

[Cory]

Masses for Louis XVI this January:

https://www.messes-louisxvi.com/

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Cory

Masses for Louis XVI this January:

https://www.messes-louisxvi.com/

It is easy to blame Louis XVI or his wife for the revolution, but people forget that Louis XVI's brothers were restored to the throne after the fall of Napoleon and, later, their distant Orléans cousins even made a feeble attempt at some sort of constitutional monarchy. In all those aforementioned cases though, they were toppled by a revolution.

I would say the French monarchy was doomed no matter who, which is a pity really as it was one of Europe's greatest monarchies.

[wyevale]

The seeds of a cataclysmic revolution were sown FAR earlier than under the reign of the hapless 'Louis le Bon' and his unfortunate wife.

The refusal of his Grandfather Louis xv to address the inequalties of Taxation, opportunity and representation throughout the system, 'Apres-moi le deluge', being [essentially] his attitude, made it inevitable. Time and time again he put off opportunities for meaningful change.
Louis xvi had relatively little time to make any change [15 years], and did so ONLY when the state had been brought to Bankruptcy by the STUPID attempt to wreak revenge on the English [the hereditary enemy] by financing [at VAST, unaffordable cost] the rebellion in America.
This 'pay back' for the French defeat in the 'Seven years War' cost France VERY dear indeed.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by wyevale

The seeds of a cataclysmic revolution were sown FAR earlier than under the reign of the hapless 'Louis le Bon' and his unfortunate wife.

The refusal of his Grandfather Louis xv to address the inequalties of Taxation, opportunity and representation throughout the system, 'Apres-moi le deluge', being [essentially] his attitude, made it inevitable. Time and time again he put off opportunities for meaningful change.
Louis xvi had relatively little time to make any change [15 years], and did so ONLY when the state had been brought to Bankruptcy by the STUPID attempt to wreak revenge on the English [the hereditary enemy] by financing [at VAST, unaffordable cost] the rebellion in America.
This 'pay back' for the French defeat in the 'Seven years War' cost France VERY dear indeed.

From the point of view of the Americans though, without the French intervention, independence from Great Britain would not have been achieved probably. Too bad they don't teach that properly in American schools !

Of course the Brits also mishandled the American situation badly. If they had offered the Americans a constitutional settlement similar to what Canada got in the mid-19th century (I mean, even before the Canadian confederation),I suppose the Americans would have taken it over independence, but tensions with Great Britain would probably have surfaced again later over slavery, immigration and territorial expansion to the West.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

Louis XVI – a Victim of the Revolution?

Louis XVI – a Victim of the Revolution?

Given that he was executed by the Revolution, it seems rather obvious that he was a victim. The controversial point is whether he deserved his fate or not. Personally I think he did not .

[An Ard Ri]

The story behind Louisville's regal statue that arrived in Louisville in 1966 of King Louis XVI of France and Navarre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVYbWNgOa_Y

[Lady Nimue]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Of course the Brits also mishandled the American situation badly. If they had offered the Americans a constitutional settlement similar to what Canada got in the mid-19th century (I mean, even before the Canadian confederation),I suppose the Americans would have taken it over independence, but tensions with Great Britain would probably have surfaced again later over slavery, immigration and territorial expansion to the West.

I confess I am not up on what the constitutional settlement was with Canada (should probably look that up), but the grievances with Britain from the colonies' side was pretty basic: the monopoly of the East India Company, and the protectionist laws Britain had in place to the severe disadvantage of the colonies.

The American colonies were extractive colonies for the British (cotton and tobacco). It is unlikely that they would have given them up without a fight.

Also, the protectionist laws made business very lucrative for the British (colonists were forbidden from selling certain commodities, like tea, except via the East India Company, and hence at greatly inflated prices, especially with import tariffs added on).

The colonists were also forbidden to make clothing: Washington wanted to buy an American-made suit for his first inaugural, and had to buy one from a man in Delaware who was the only man in the colonies who was engaged in that illegal activity. And so it went: pushback at corporatism was at the core of the American 'rebellion'. Unlikely that the British government (includes King who was a corporate owner) would have willingly given up those lucrative policies.

[wyevale]

Ironically 225 years since the Comte's ancestor Philippe l'Égalité voted for the death of the Sovereign being commemorated...

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by wyevale

Ironically 225 years since the Comte's ancestor Philippe l'Égalité voted for the death of the Sovereign being commemorated...

The same thought crossed my mind.