Louis XVI

Louis XVI was the last king of France before the French Revolution overthrew the monarchy.

Louis XVI was the last king of France before the French Revolution overthrew the monarchy. He reigned from 1774 until the monarchy was abolished in 1792 and was executed by guillotine in Paris in 1793.

What it is

Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled France during a period of severe financial crisis and social unrest. He ascended the throne in 1774 after the death of Louis XV and married Marie Antoinette in 1770. His reign is closely associated with the outbreak of the French Revolution and the eventual end of the Bourbon monarchy.

Why it matters

Louis XVI's reign marked the end of centuries of continuous French monarchy and the rise of the revolutionary republic. His execution by guillotine in 1793 symbolized the radical shift in political power. The events of his reign also influenced the wider Atlantic world, including French North American history, as the revolutionary era reshaped colonial and imperial structures.

Key details

Louis-Auguste was born at Versailles on 23 August 1754. He became king in 1774 and faced mounting financial problems. The monarchy was abolished in September 1792, and Louis was tried for treason by the National Convention. He was executed on 21 January 1793 in Paris.