THE story of Marie Antoinette’s death still fascinates and horrifies many.
The former French Queen was sentenced to death in 1793 at the age of 37 – but why and how many children did she leave behind? Here’s everything you need to know.
Born an archduchess in Vienna, Austria, in 1755, Marie Antoinette married the future French King Louis XVI when she was just 15 years old.
And it wasn’t long before the young royal couple became the subject of intense national hatred.
Marie Antoinette threw herself into the spirit of the French court — gambling, partying, and purchasing.
These indulgences earned her the nickname “Madame Déficit,” while the common people of France suffered through a poor economy.
They blamed her lavish spending and opposition to the social and financial reforms of Anne Turgot and Genevan banker Jacques Necker.
Matters were only made worse in 1785, when she was falsely accused of acquiring an expensive diamond necklace that she then refused to pay for – this was referred to as the “Diamond necklace affair”.
The monarch was said to have lit the fuse of the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille with the line “Let them eat cake!” when told that starving peasants could not afford bread.
After growing tired of the monarchy, in October 1789 the people of France marched on the royal palace at Versailles and the French Revolution began.
In June 1791, opposition to the royal pair had become so fierce that the two were forced to flee to Austria after the government had placed them under house arrest.
One year later, in 1792, the royal couple were arrested by the sans-culottes and imprisoned – as a result, the monarchy was abolished.
In November, evidence of Louis XVI’s opposition with Austria and other foreign nations was discovered, and he was put on trial for treason by the National Convention.
On January 21, 1793, Louis was convicted and condemned to death.
Nine months later, Marie Antoinette was convicted of treason by a tribunal and she too followed her husband’s fate and was sentenced to death.
By the time of Marie Antoinette’s passing in 1793, she was the most reviled woman in France.
Nine months after the execution of her husband, the former King Louis XVI of France, Marie Antoinette was sent to the guillotine on October 16, 1793.
She was just 37 years old.
It has been reported that on climbing the steps to the guillotine – an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading – she trod on the foot of her executioner and apologised saying: “I did not do it on purpose.”
Marie Antoinette was a devoted mother to four biological children – Marie Thérèse Charlotte, born on December 9, 1778, Louis Joseph Xavier François (born 1781), Louis XVII of France (born March 1785), and Sophie Hélène Béatrix (born July 1786).
Sophie died before her first birthday and heir to the throne Louis Joseph died of TB aged seven.
The new heir Louis Charles, was captured with his parents, older sister Marie Thérèse, and aunt Elisabeth.
Monarchists declared him as King XVII after his father was executed.
However he was separated from his family and died in solitary confinement aged ten.
Marie Thérèse was the only one to survive the revolution.
She died in 1851.
In addition to her biological children, Marie Antoinette adopted four other children.
