On this day in 1793, Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France before the French Revolution, was executed by guillotine in Paris. Once a symbol of opulence and royal extravagance, her death marked the dramatic fall of the French monarchy and the rise of a radical new political order.
From Austrian archduchess to French queen
Born Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna in Vienna in 1755, she was the daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. At just fourteen, she married Louis-Auguste, the future Louis XVI, in an alliance meant to solidify relations between Austria and France. Initially popular for her charm and youth, Marie Antoinette soon became a target of resentment as France’s financial crisis deepened.
A symbol of royal excess
During the turbulent years leading up to the Revolution, she was accused—often unjustly—of lavish spending and indifference to the plight of ordinary citizens. The infamous phrase “Let them eat cake,” though never uttered by her, came to represent her supposed disregard for the suffering of the poor. Her lifestyle at Versailles, combined with political mistrust of her Austrian origins, turned her into a symbol of everything the revolution sought to destroy.
Fall from grace and imprisonment
After the storming of the Bastille in 1789, the royal family’s power rapidly crumbled. In 1791, their failed escape attempt to Varennes sealed their fate and confirmed suspicions of treachery. Following the monarchy’s abolition, Marie Antoinette was imprisoned in the Conciergerie, separated from her surviving children, and subjected to intense public hostility.
Trial and execution
In October 1793, she was tried before the Revolutionary Tribunal on charges of treason, theft, and even incest—allegations widely viewed as politically motivated. Despite maintaining composure and dignity throughout the proceedings, she was condemned to death. On 16 October 1793, she was executed at the Place de la Révolution before a large crowd, only months after her husband, Louis XVI.
Legacy and reinterpretation
Over time, Marie Antoinette’s image has evolved from that of a frivolous monarch to a tragic figure caught in the forces of history. Historians now view her less as the cause of France’s turmoil and more as its casualty—a woman overwhelmed by events she could neither control nor fully understand.
Newshub Editorial in Europe – 16 October 2025
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