Marie-Antoinette's Execution

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.