Louis (XVII) | Child of Marie Antoinette, Reign of Terror (2024)

Louis (XVII) (born March 27, 1785, Versailles, France—died June 8, 1795, Paris) was the titular king of France from 1793. He was the second son of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette, and he was the royalists’ first recognized claimant to the monarchy after his father was executed during the French Revolution.

Baptized Louis-Charles, he bore the title duc de Normandie until he became dauphin (heir to the throne) on the death of his eight-year-old elder brother, Louis-Joseph, in June 1789, shortly after the outbreak of the Revolution. With the overthrow of the monarchy in the popular insurrection of August 10, 1792, Louis-Charles was imprisoned with the rest of the royal family in the Temple in Paris. Louis XVI was beheaded on January 21, 1793, and French émigrés (nobles in exile) immediately proclaimed Louis-Charles the new king of France.

Louis (XVII) | Child of Marie Antoinette, Reign of Terror (2)

Britannica Quiz

Kings and Emperors (Part III) Quiz

Since France was at war with Austria and Prussia, Louis XVII became a valuable pawn in negotiations between the revolutionary government and its enemies. On July 3, 1793, he was taken from his mother and put under the surveillance of a cobbler, Antoine Simon. Marie-Antoinette was guillotined on October 16, 1793, and in January 1794 Louis was again imprisoned in the Temple. The harsh conditions of his confinement rapidly undermined his health. His death was a severe blow to the constitutional monarchists, who had once again become a powerful political force. An inquest established that Louis had succumbed to scrofula (tuberculosis of the lymph glands).

The secrecy surrounding the last months of Louis XVII’s life gave rise to rumours. Some said that he was not dead but had escaped from the Temple. Others alleged that he had been poisoned. During the next few decades, more than 30 persons claimed to be Louis XVII. Hoping to end the controversy, scientists began DNA testing on a preserved heart, ostensibly that of Louis XVII, in late 1999, comparing it to hair samples from various royal family members, including Marie-Antoinette. The findings, announced in April 2000, confirmed that the young boy who died in prison was in fact Louis XVII.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Louis (XVII) | Child of Marie Antoinette, Reign of Terror (2024)

FAQs

Louis (XVII) | Child of Marie Antoinette, Reign of Terror? ›

Louis (XVII) (born March 27, 1785, Versailles, France—died June 8, 1795, Paris) was the titular king of France from 1793. He was the second son of King Louis XVI

Louis XVI
Louis XVI (born August 23, 1754, Versailles, France—died January 21, 1793, Paris) was the last king of France (1774–92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789.
https://www.britannica.com › biography › Louis-XVI
and Queen Marie-Antoinette
Marie-Antoinette
Marie-Antoinette was queen of France from 1774 to 1793 and is associated with the decline of the French monarchy. Her alleged remark “Let them eat cake” has been cited as showing her obliviousness to the poor conditions in which many of her subjects lived while she lived decadently, but she probably never said it.
https://www.britannica.com › Marie-Antoinette-queen-of-France
, and he was the royalists
royalists
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Royalist
' first recognized claimant to the monarchy after his father was executed during the French Revolution.

What happened in Louis XVII? ›

Louis XVII was left under the care of his mother Marie Antoinette, then taken away from her shortly before her own execution and entrusted to shoemaker Antoine Simon. He was executed by guillotine on the same day as Robespierre..

What happened to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the revolution? ›

King of France and Navarre 1754 - 1793

In 1789, faced with a grave financial crisis, the king summoned a meeting of the Estates General at the palace. Later that year, ceding to popular pressure, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette left Versailles for Paris. Both died by the guillotine in 1793.

How did Marie Antoinette contribute to the French Revolution? ›

Because of Louis XVI's indecisiveness, Marie-Antoinette played an increasingly prominent political role. Her rejection of reform and resistance to the French Revolution contributed to the monarchy's overthrow in 1792.

Why did they blame Marie Antoinette? ›

Although enemies may have created this image of Marie Antoinette, they did so because her actions of ostentatious spending and frivolity became more frequent as her married life seemed to crumble around her. By May 1771, Maria Teresa was criticizing Marie Antoinette more harshly and frequently.

Who fathered the black baby in Versailles? ›

Nobu the dwarf was blamed and was later found dead in the fountain in front of the palace, implying he was the father and either killed to keep the secret or out of Louis' vengeance for cuckolding him under his own roof.

Is the French Royal Bloodline still alive? ›

While there is no reigning emperor or king of France today, there are still descendants of the House of Bonaparte: the former imperial and royal European dynasty founded by Napoleon I in 1804, when he transformed the First French Republic into the First French Empire.

Why were Marie and Louis executed? ›

Some republicans called for the king's deposition, others for his trial for alleged treason and intended defection to the enemies of the French nation. Convicted, Louis was sent to the guillotine on January 21, 1793. Nine months later, Marie Antoinette was also convicted of treason and beheaded on October 16.

What was France's reign of terror? ›

Definition. The Reign of Terror , or simply the Terror (la Terreur), was a climactic period of state-sanctioned violence during the French Revolution (1789-99), which saw the public executions and mass killings of thousands of counter-revolutionary 'suspects' between September 1793 and July 1794.

Did Louis and Marie love each other? ›

Although Marie Antoinette initially condescended to her husband, she eventually developed a genuine fondness for him. For his part, Louis was completely devoted to her and never took a mistress, exhibiting a restraint virtually unheard of in an 18th-century French king.

Why did Marie Antoinette say "Let them eat cake"? ›

As the story goes, it was the queen's response upon being told that her starving peasant subjects had no bread. Because cake is more expensive than bread, the anecdote has been cited as an example of Marie-Antoinette's obliviousness to the conditions and daily lives of ordinary people.

How old was Louis when he married Marie Antoinette? ›

On 16 May 1770, at the age of fifteen, Louis-Auguste married the fourteen-year-old Habsburg Archduch*ess Maria Antonia (better known by the French form of her name, Marie Antoinette), his second cousin once removed and the youngest daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and his wife, the empress Maria Theresa.

Why did Marie Antoinette marry Louis XVI? ›

Political Marriage

Their common desire to destroy the ambitions of Prussia and Great Britain and help secure a definitive peace between them led them to seal their alliance with a marriage: in 1770, Louis XV formally asked the hand of Maria Antonia for his eldest surviving grandson, future Louis XVI.

Why did Marie Antoinette bathe in clothes? ›

Not even when bathing Marie Antoinette could be allowed to be alone and by dressing herself in even a sheer gown was somewhat a shield against the constantly watching eyes. Once she emerged from the bath the First Lady of the Bedchamber shielded her body with a sheet which was then thrown over the Queen's shoulders.

Was Marie Antoinette intelligent? ›

The tutor found Marie Antoinette “more intelligent than has been generally supposed,” but added that since “she is rather lazy and extremely frivolous, she is hard to teach.” Marie Antoinette was a child of only 14 years, delicately beautiful, with gray-blue eyes and ash-blonde hair.

How many biological children did Marie Antoinette have? ›

Nonetheless, she had four biological children with her notoriously weak husband King Louis XVI, before facing her execution in 1793. They were: Marie Thérèse Charlotte, born on December 9, 1778, Louis Joseph Xavier François, born in 1781, Louis XVII, born in March 1785, and Sophie Hélène Béatrix, born in July 1786.

Why was Louis sent to death? ›

Ultimately unwilling to cede his royal power to the Revolutionary government, Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and condemned to death. He was guillotined on January 21, 1793.

What caused the death of Louis XV in 1774? ›

By 10.30 am, however, there was no longer any doubt: the king had smallpoxThe common name for Variola, an infectious viral disease.. Never having caught it earlier, he had developed no immunity. To avoid all risk of contagion the Royal family was kept away.

What did Louis XVIII do as king? ›

Louis XVIII's reign saw France's first experiment in parliamentary government since the Revolution. The King was invested with executive powers and had “legislative initiative,” whereas a largely advisory parliament voted on laws and approved the budget.

What happened to Louis in Versailles? ›

After a week of agonising pain, four days before his 77th birthday, Louis XIV died in Versailles just after 8.15 am on 1 September. He had been king for 72 years, the longest reign in the history of France.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Ouida Strosin DO

Last Updated:

Views: 6337

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ouida Strosin DO

Birthday: 1995-04-27

Address: Suite 927 930 Kilback Radial, Candidaville, TN 87795

Phone: +8561498978366

Job: Legacy Manufacturing Specialist

Hobby: Singing, Mountain biking, Water sports, Water sports, Taxidermy, Polo, Pet

Introduction: My name is Ouida Strosin DO, I am a precious, combative, spotless, modern, spotless, beautiful, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.