Queen Marie Antoinette is executed.

The execution of Marie Antoinette on 16 October 1793 was one of the most dramatic events of the French Revolution. Born an Austrian archduchess in 1755, Marie Antoinette became Queen of France when her husband, Louis XVI, ascended the throne in 1774. Her extravagant lifestyle and reputation for excessive spending made her deeply unpopular among the French population, particularly during a period of economic hardship and widespread poverty. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, the royal family’s position became increasingly precarious. After the monarchy was abolished in September 1792, Louis XVI was tried for treason and executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793. Marie Antoinette was subsequently imprisoned in the Conciergerie in Paris, separated from her surviving children, and subjected to harsh conditions while awaiting trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal.

Marie Antoinette’s trial began on 14 October 1793, during the Reign of Terror, when revolutionary authorities were executing thousands of people suspected of opposing the new republic. She faced several accusations, including conspiring with foreign powers, depleting the national treasury, and supporting counter-revolutionary activities. Among the most shocking allegations was an accusation of sexual abuse involving her young son, Louis-Charles, which she vehemently denied. When pressed to respond, she famously appealed to all mothers present in the courtroom, a moment that reportedly moved some spectators. Despite her defence, the outcome of the trial was largely predetermined by the revolutionary political climate. In the early hours of 16 October, the tribunal found her guilty of high treason and sentenced her to death. Later that morning, the 37-year-old former queen had her hair cut short and her hands bound behind her back before being placed in an open wooden cart and transported through the streets of Paris to the Place de la Révolution, now known as the Place de la Concorde.

Marie Antoinette arrived at the execution site shortly after midday on 16 October 1793, dressed in a simple white garment, a striking contrast to the elaborate royal clothing she had once worn at Versailles. Unlike Louis XVI, who had been transported to his execution in a closed carriage, she was deliberately exposed to the crowds lining the streets. According to a well-known account, she accidentally stepped on the executioner’s foot while approaching the guillotine and apologised, reportedly saying, “Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose.” Although the authenticity of these final words remains uncertain, they have become closely associated with her death. At approximately 12:15 p.m., Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine before a large crowd. Her remains were buried in an unmarked grave at the Madeleine Cemetery, alongside those of her husband, before being transferred to the Basilica of Saint-Denis in 1815 following the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Her execution symbolised the complete destruction of the old French monarchy and remains one of the most recognisable episodes of the French Revolution, reflecting the extraordinary political upheaval and violence that transformed France during the late eighteenth century.