Louis XVI

1754 – 1793

Louis XVI was the last king of France before the abolition of the monarchy during the French Revolution, reigning from 1774 to 1792. His attempts to flee Paris with his family in June 1791 were halted at Varennes and effectively ended his political authority, while his secret correspondence with Austrian and Prussian armies massing on France's borders convinced the National Convention that he had been conspiring with foreign monarchs against his own state. He was tried for high treason and beheaded by guillotine on 21 January 1793 in what became the Place de la Concorde.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM