On this day in 1793, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine for treason in Paris at La Place de la Revolution, three and a half years after the French Revolution began. The King’s wife, Marie Antoinette, would be executed nine months later. The royal couple were the primary symbols of decadence and opulence amidst the poverty of the masses, which fueled the revolt from the working-class French.
Louis was the last in a line of Bourbon Monarchs as well as the Capetian Dynasty Kings that had ruled France uninterrupted for more than 800 years. You never hear anything good about Louis XVI, so here’s some trivia:
⦁ He abolished the labor tax and, ironically, the death penalty, during his reign
⦁ He returned power to the parlement that his grandfather had worked to suppress
⦁ He was a champion of religious tolerance and was always interested in public opinion
⦁ He was a patron to many musicians and artists, including painter Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, whose work was significant in opening doors for women artists in Europe
⦁ He successfully expanded the French Navy in order to compete with the British at sea
⦁ He was a major supporter of American Colonists in their revolution against Great Britain, sending money, ammunitions, and troops that helped them win the war; France’s massive debt accrued from participating in America’s Revolution was a substantial factor in its own revolution
Music Du Jour:
One of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s best-known compositions was written in 1778, four years into the reign of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. Mozart wrote his Symphony No. 31, the “Paris Symphony,” while he was job-hunting in Paris.
Films Du Jour:
- Les Misérables
- The French Revolution (1989)
- Marie Antoinette (2006)
- The Life and Times of Louis XVI (short YouTube biography)
- A Tale of Two Cities
Miscellaneous:
- Stuff you should know about the guillotine
- Finger guillotine provides hours of fun
- Did Marie say “Let them eat cake,” or not?
- Louis XVI may have lost his head, but his hands still help us tell time
Snacks du Jour: Crepes, chocolates, croissants, and soft cheeses. If you happen to travel to Versailles, here’s a list of snack providers.
Cocktail Du Jour – The Antoinette Cocktail
Recipe by Oak Restaurant in the Dallas Design District:
- 4 blackberries
- 1 oz vodka
- 5 oz simple syrup
- 5 oz fresh lemon juice
- 25 oz Cointreau
- 3 oz prosecco
Muddle 3 blackberries in a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice, syrup, Cointreau, and ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass. Top with prosecco. Garnish with the remaining blackberry.
Mocktail Du Jour – The Antoinette Mocktail
- 4 blackberries
- 1 oz cranberry juice
- 25 oz blood orange syrup
- 5 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 oz ginger ale
Muddle 3 blackberries in a cocktail shaker. Add cranberry juice, lemon juice, syrup, and ice. Shake and strain into glass. Pour ginger ale into a coupe glass. Garnish with the remaining blackberry.
Beer Du Jour
Let them drink Funnel Cake Ale by Community Beer
Wine Du Jour
Gnarly Head 1924 Bourbon Barrel Double Black Cabernet Sauvignon or any Bourbon Barrel Aged wine. Here’s an article.
Use freshly squeezed citrus in your cocktails and mocktails when called for – It makes such a difference! Here’s a reliable and inexpensive juicer.
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Photo Credit: “Painting of King Louis XVI in Château de Versailles” by StephenCarlile is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
