Louis XVI

Louis XVI was a French king born in 1754, who succeeded his grandfather Louis XV and ascended the throne at age 20. His rule was marked by attempts to reform the government according to Enlightenment ideals, which were met with hostility from the French nobility. He implemented deregulation of grain prices, supported American colonists' independence from Great Britain, and attempted to reduce taxation on serfs and workers. Louis XVI's indecision caused unrest among members of lower classes, prompting events like the storming of the Bastille which resulted in him recognizing legislative authority over himself. With rebellion spreading through France, Louis XVI unsuccessfully attempted to flee but ended up captured and tried for high treason. He was executed on 21 January 1793 by guillotine as a de-sacralized citizen under the name Citizen Louis Capet. His death brought an end to more than a thousand years of continuous monarchy in France; both his sons died before they reached adulthood while his only surviving child Marie Thérèse eventually passed away without children in 1851.