On this day in 1770, Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, married Marie Antoinette, Archduchess of Austria and youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I.
This marriage was met with hostility from the French public. France’s alliance with its traditional enemy Austria had pulled the country into the disastrous Seven Years’ War, in which it was defeated by the British and the Prussians, both in Europe and in North America. By the time that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were married, the French people generally disliked the Austrian alliance, and Marie Antoinette was seen as an unwelcome foreigner.
The marriage ended badly. Due to financial difficulties, her husband, now King of France, summoned the Estates General and the French revolution began. The king and queen attempted to flee the country and were caught. The king was convicted of high treason by the National Assembly and On 21 January 1793, Louis XVI, at age 38, was beheaded by guillotine on the Place de la Révolution.
Early on 16 October, 1773, Marie Antoinette was declared guilty of the three main charges against her: depletion of the national treasury, conspiracy against the internal and external security of the state, and high treason because of her intelligence activities in the interest of the enemy; the latter charge alone was enough to condemn her to death. Marie Antoinette was executed by beheading by guillotine at 12:15 pm on 16 October. Her last words are recorded as, “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Je ne l’ai pas fait exprès” or “Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose”, after accidentally stepping on her executioner’s shoe.
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Today is the birthday, in 1947, of Barbara Lee, singer, from American all-girl group The Chiffons who had the 1963 US No.1 single ‘He’s So Fine’, and the 1972 UK No.4 single ‘Sweet Talking Guy’, (first released in 1966). Lee died on 15th May 1992. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHx4hk7H51o
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