France's Most Incompetent King
/Have you ever wondered who the best king or queen to ever rule was? If yes, you’ve probably come across King Louis XVI, and you’ll have read all about how he was one of the most foolish kings ever. He was the last king of France to rule during the Versailles royal era and the last Bourbon king to lead the country. Due to events during his reign, Louis XVI will always be remembered as a bad king.
Louis XVI Portrait (Wikipedia)
Louis XVI, also known as Louis Auguste, was born in 1754 to Louis, Dauphin of France, and Marie-Josephe of Saxony. He was strong and healthy, yet timid. His place in the family helps explain why Louis XVI was known as an incompetent king. His father was second in line to the throne, he had an older brother, and his grandfather was the King of France. Louis Auguste’s place in the line of succession meant that his parents basically ignored him, instead focusing on his older brother. Honestly, I think this alone was enough to cause some issues in the future king’s life.
Louis Auguste was not taught how to rule a country; instead, it was taught to his older brother. Meanwhile, Louis Auguste studied religion, morality, and humanities. He shined in Latin, history, geography, and astronomy and was fluent in Italian and English. If only these lessons made him fit to rule France, which would eventually become critical.
Louis Auguste’s parents soon learned that focusing all their attention on his brother was a mistake. Their eldest son would die in 1761 at the age of nine. About four years later, his father died of tuberculosis, and Louis Auguste became Dauphin at age 11.
Obviously, Louis Auguste was very unprepared to rule France. His previous lessons were no help, and his tutors gave him poor interpersonal skills. The young Dauphin was already incredibly shy, and his tutors taught him this was a sign of solid character in monarchs. Instead, his shyness just made him look indecisive, which is always an excellent trait in a king.
The future king married his wife, Marie Antoinette de Habsbourg-Lorraine, archduchess of Austria, in 1770. Then, about four years later, Louis Auguste became Louis XVI after his grandfather died. The new king was only 20; you can understand his immaturity and lack of self-confidence.
Unfortunately, the state of France didn’t help matters. He failed to address many issues in the country, such as debt, taxes, and bitterness towards the royal family. He lacked enough strength of character to handle court factions and wasn’t supportive of reformers attempting to fix the French government.
Not only did Louis XVI fail to address many issues, but he also made it worse. He refused to raise taxes for those who could pay. He took out international loans, like funding the American Revolution, clearly being petty towards the British, which is entirely understandable in my opinion. Unfortunately for the king, though, this only worsened France's debt.
By 1789, the situation had deteriorated enough that the king called the Estates General, an advisory council of the three socio-economic classes, to fix his problems for him. This meeting went about as well as you can guess, resulting in the commoners declaring themselves the National Assembly and starting a constitution. Louis XVI refused to accept this and called on the army to fix things; a National Guard soon formed against him, so this wasn’t his best idea.
Riots began in the summer of 1789, and crowds attacked the Bastille, starting the French Revolution. Soon, the Palace of Versailles, where the royal family lived, was stormed, and the crowd demanded the king move to Paris. The crowned head went with the crowd and lived in Paris until 1791 when he attempted to escape the country with his immediate family.
The Trial of LOUIS XVI (Wikipedia)
They were caught and arrested in Varennes. The Revolutionaries who still supported him saw this as an act of cowardice, and he lost all credibility he had left as a monarch. Later, in November 1792, proof was found of Louis XVI’s counter-revolutionary ideals, and he was tried for treason and found guilty. Honestly, I’m just surprised it didn’t happen sooner.
Louis XVI was sentenced to death, and in January 1793, he was guillotined. His wife would eventually meet the same fate. His son died in prison, and his daughter was sent to family in Austria. Revolutionaries called the late king “Louis the Last,” so I guess they at least cared enough to give him a nickname.
Sources:
https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/great-characters/louis-xvi#a-learned-king
https://www.biography.com/royalty/louis-xvi
Amber Boileau is a 19 year-old Professional Writing student at Algonquin College. Coming from the middle of nowhere, her free time from studying was spent reading, writing, and spending time with her family. This resulted in a girl who mostly stayed inside and grew to be irritated with 99% of the people around her. She still prefers to be inside, alone, and working on her school, reading, or writing, but will occasionally come out of hiding to be with her friends.
