Marie-Antoinette's Execution

Single Malt History with Gareth Russell

On 16th October 1793, "the most hated woman in France" was publicly beheaded. How had the former queen fallen from life at Versailles to death before a crowd of thousands? From her controversial trial to her last letter and final journey, Marie-Antoinette's execution became a cultural Rubicon. Seen by some as a moment of revolutionary justice and by others as a warning about the dangers posed by political extremism, the execution also helped solidify the growing ideology of western European conservatism, being cited by some of conservatism's so-called 'founding thinkers' as an embodiment of everything they need to fight against.
As a personal tragedy, a grizzly death, and a cultural turning point, the death of Marie-Antoinette remains controversial and fascinating.