Louis XVI
Louis XVI (1754-93). King of France from 1774. He married Marie Antoinette in 1770 and succeeded to the throne when France was virtually bankrupt. Dominated by his wife, he failed to bring in large-scale re-forms to improve the financial situation. In 1789 the National Assembly was formed and the French Revolution began. The Palace of Versailles was attacked and Louis and his family were moved out. Public opinion was generally sympathetic to the royal family until Louis’s escape attempt (1791). He was captured at Varennes and held prisoner before being tried for treason and guillotined.
