In 1793, four years after the French Revolution began, Marie Antoinette was no longer Queen of France. Her husband, King Louis XVI, had been executed for crimes against France, and she too had been issued the death penalty after a swift trial. Imprisoned, separated from her children, and subjected to humiliation by her captors, it is said that she went to the guillotine willingly. This woman, who had once led such a splendid existence, had been brought low by the hand that fate dealt her. This is the story of Marie Antoinette’s death.
Marie Antoinette’s Death: from Beloved Princess to Despised Queen
Marie Antoinette had arrived in France as a young Austrian princess. Her natural grace and charm won the hearts of the French. Yet as the years went by, her reputation was marred by various scandals, some true and others not. Various factors came into play that contributed to Marie Antoinette’s death. Some were her own doing, and others were out of her control.
For example, Marie Antoinette’s husband Louis was physically unable to have sex with her until he underwent a minor medical procedure, which led to their union being barren for the first eight years. Frustrated, Marie Antoinette escaped into a life of frivolity, dancing, gambling, and spending money on fashion, to avoid having to face her marital woes. Obviously, this did nothing to endear her to her people.
