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Louis XVI of France

1754–1793

Born
23 Aug 1754, Palace of Versailles
Country of birth
France
Died
21 Jan 1793, place de la Concorde

Biography

AI-assisted · edited

Louis XVI: From King of France and Navarre to King of the French

The collection records that Louis XVI was born in 1754 at the Palace of Versailles. His parents were Louis, Dauphin of France, and Marie Josèphe of Saxony, placing him within the Bourbon royal family. 123

Louis XVI held the title of King of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1791. From 1791 to 1792, he was King of the French, a change in royal title that accompanied the final phase of his reign. 456

The collection records his death in 1793 at the Place de la Concorde, the year after the end of his final royal title. The account follows a life that began at Versailles and ended in Paris. 74561

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

facts
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sources
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Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

  • Birth23 Aug 1754, Palace of VersaillesProbable1 source
  • TitleGrand Master of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, 1757–1772Confirmed3 competing claims1 source
  • TitleFrench co-prince of Andorra, 1774–1792Confirmed3 competing claims1 source
  • TitleKing of France and Navarre, 1774–1791Confirmed3 competing claims1 source
  • TitleKing of the French, 1791–1792Confirmed3 competing claims1 source
  • Death21 Jan 1793, place de la ConcordeProbable1 source
  • ParentMarie Josèphe of SaxonyConfirmed1 source
  • ParentLouis, Dauphin of FranceConfirmed1 source

A life in time

  1. Born · Palace of Versailles

    Birth, Palace of Versailles

  2. Event · Grand Master of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem

    Event

  3. Event · King of France and Navarre

    Event

  4. Event · French co-prince of Andorra

    Event

  5. Child born: Ernestine Lambriquet

    Birth, Versailles

  6. Child born: Marie Thérèse of France

    Birth, Versailles

  7. Child born: Jean Amilcar

    Birth

  8. Child born: Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France

    Birth, Versailles

  9. Child born: Louis XVII of France

    Birth, Versailles

  10. Child born: Princess Sophie of France

    Birth, Palace of Versailles

  11. Event · King of the French

    Event

  12. Died · place de la Concorde

    Death, place de la Concorde

What was it like?

The world around Palace of Versailles, 1754: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Louis was born the same year as Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Joseph Joubert, and Luigi Marchesi.

Known for

Titles held

  • Grand Master of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem1757–1772
  • King of France and Navarre1774–1791
  • French co-prince of Andorra1774–1792
  • King of the French1791–1792
Born the same year

  • Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

    French diplomat (1754-1838)

  • Joseph Joubert

    French moralist and essayist

  • Luigi Marchesi

    Italian opera singer

  • Paul I of Russia

    The ninth Emperor of Russia from 1796 to 1801 (1754-1801)

  • Manon Roland

    French revolutionary

  • Georg Forster

    German naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist, and revolutionary (1754-1794)

Fashion

Common clothing colors

Common women’s clothing colors were mostly dark, with black, gray, and brown making up 45 percent of garments, while red accounted for 21 percent.

Cost of men's shoes

Men's shoes were considered expensive items, costing twice as much as those worn by women.

Music

Cost of a village festival license

To host a village fair or festival, peasants applied for a license from the commandant that cost about one French crown.

Instruments for common dance and festivals

At festivals and fairs, ordinary people danced to the music of fiddles and the pipe and tabor, also known as the pipe and drum.

Getting around

Rapid descent by ramasse sled

When crossing the snowy Mount Cenis pass in the Alps, travelers could descend into Lanslebourg in just 15 minutes using a specialized sled called a ramasse.

Around 1725–1749

Sledding down the Alps

Adventurous travelers crossed the snowy Mont-Cenis pass in winter using a sled called a ramasse, which could slide down the slope in just fifteen minutes.

Daily life

Basic structure of rural peasant homes

Peasant homes were typically built of wattle and daub with thatched roofs, often consisting of a single room used for sleeping, working, and daily activities. Many rural homes had small windows without glass, and the floor was made of packed earth.

Demanding daily tasks for water and light

Domestic tasks like fetching water from fountains and managing oil lamps or candles for light were costly and physically demanding labor for all of society. Home access to abundant, affordable water and lighting did not occur until the 1950s.

Food

Bread as the Daily Staple

Adult men were expected to consume between 4 and 5 livres of bread daily, making it the essential staple of their diet.

Simple Meals of Bread and Soup

Ordinary meals typically consisted of bread dipped into soups made of boiled water, vegetables, or legumes, with meat being a rare addition.

Prices and wages

Cost of bread and meat

Bread was the essential staple, though its price fluctuated wildly; by the 1770s, it cost between 4 and 5 sols in the heart of the kingdom. Meat was expensive, with beef, mutton, or veal often costing 9 to 15 sols per pound.

Around 1725–1749

Daily wages for ordinary workers

In the mid-18th century, a rural laborer typically earned about 16 sols per day, while city workers could earn between 10 and 30 sols. A full day's work was often required just to afford bread for the family.

Work

Annual wages for servants

Servants were often paid annually, with a female servant receiving 24 to 33 livres plus small benefits, while a foreman might earn 84 to 90 livres.

Long hours and mixed payments

A daily working day lasted from 10 to 13 hours, with agricultural work often paid in a mix of money and goods, such as wooden shoes or cloth.

During their lifetime

  1. 1775

    The Flour War of 1775

    The Flour War of 1775 involved widespread riots across northern France after grain trade deregulation caused bread prices to rise by over 50 percent.

  2. 1783

    First human flight in 1783

    King Louis XVI hosted the first successful human flight in a hot-air balloon at Versailles, lasting 25 minutes on November 21, 1783.

  3. 1789

    Storming of the Bastille in 1789

    On July 14, 1789, Parisian citizens stormed the Bastille prison, a pivotal event that signaled the start of the French Revolution and the collapse of royal authority.

Family

Parents

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.