How to Rise Above Indignity
The Christ-like death of King Louis XVI…
21 January, 1793. The streets of Paris call out for blood, drunk with revolutionary fervor. Over 80,000 men-at-arms patrol the city, guarding the main intersections and keeping order in the squares.
Over the course of two painfully slow hours, a small green carriage winds its way down the Parisian boulevards, destined for the Place de la Révolution. In it sits a man condemned to death — none other than the French King, Louis XVI.
The true story of King Louis’ execution, unknown by many today, is remarkable. It is one of courage, forgiveness, and sacrifice. It reveals a man who, in the midst of unbelievable injustice, embraced his fate with the dignity of a true king.
On the scaffold of the guillotine, King Louis XVI became like the one man he admired more than any other: Jesus of Nazareth. Today, on the anniversary of his execution, we tell his story — and reveal what it can teach you about facing injustice and death with dignity…
The Night Before
On the eve of his execution, Louis was granted a final meeting with his family. Not having been informed of his fate, however, they were blissfully unaware of what lay in store.
How does one inform his family he is to die on the morrow? Such is the uncomfortable question Louis wrestled with while awaiting their arrival. Hysterics ensued as he broke the painful news — his children clung to his legs, weeping inconsolably.
His wife Marie Antoinette begged him to visit them again in the morning. But overwhelmed by the emotional toll, it was a promise Louis couldn’t keep — he wished his family a tearful goodbye and stayed up late into the night in prayer, in his own Garden of Gethsemane.
The Morning Of
King Louis rose at 5:00 a.m. on the morning of the 21st. He said his confession, heard mass, and received his Last Rites. His confessor, the Irish priest Henry Essex Edgeworth, gave him a final blessing.
At 8:00 a.m., the National Guard arrived to collect the King. But while it is one thing to disregard divine authority in theory, it is another thing to do so in person — and indeed, the men sent to collect Louis nearly lost their nerve.
But their King, taking pity on his subjects, helped them fulfill their duty. Stomping his foot firmly on the ground, the condemned monarch issued his final command — partons!, “let’s go!”
It was a scene hauntingly reminiscent of the Gospels:
Then after [Judas] had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
John 13:27
The Execution
At 10 a.m., Louis’ carriage arrived at the Place de la Révolution. Charles-Henri Sanson, the same man who would preside over Marie Antoinette’s execution nine months later, awaited the King.
The executioner’s eldest son described the scene upon Louis’ arrival:
The King had been driven to the scaffold in his own carriage and his hands were free. At the foot of the scaffold we decided to tie his hands…
One assistant waited with a rope, while another said to him 'It is necessary to tie your hands'. On hearing these unexpected words, at the unexpected sight of that rope, Louis XVI made an involuntary gesture of repulsion. 'Never!' he cried…
It was then that my father approached and said, in the most respectful tone of voice imaginable, 'With a handkerchief, Sire'. At the word 'Sire', which he had not heard for so long, Louis XVI winced, and at the same moment his confessor had addressed a few words to him from the carriage, said 'So be it, then, that too, my God!' and held out his hands.
Henri Sanson to Alexandre Dumas
By reminding the King of the indignities suffered by Christ during his Passion, Louis’ confessor had convinced him to embrace this final act of humiliation.
Ascending the scaffold, Louis made one last address to his people:
I die innocent of all the crimes laid to my charge, I pardon those who have occasioned my death, and I pray to God that the blood you are going to shed may never be visited on France.
A drumroll was struck to prevent him from saying anything more. Louis was jostled over to the guillotine and strapped to the board.
At 10:22 a.m., the blade fell.
The King was dead.
Aftermath
Louis XVI had hoped his death would bring peace to a fractured nation. Instead, it marked the beginning of the Reign of Terror.
The revolutionaries, drunk on their vision of utopia, unleashed a torrent of violence that consumed tens of thousands of lives. The ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity quickly gave way to paranoia, vengeance, and bloodshed.
In the face of this chaos, Louis’s courage and grace stood out all the more starkly. Here was a man so committed to his people that he would endure the indignity and death they visited upon him. Here was a man who, rather than fighting the men sent to kill them, helped them do their duty. Here was a man who, like Christ on the Cross, forgave those who unjustly condemned him to death.
232 years after his death, Louis’s example stands as a poignant reminder that dignity, courage, and grace are the marks of true leadership, even in the face of chaos and cruelty.
His sacrifice, while yet to be fully redressed, was not in vain. It is the lodestar of true nobility, and the exemplary model of dignity in the face of injustice.
Takeaways:
1) Stand Firm Against Accusation
Throughout his trial and until his death, Louis never bent the knee to the baseless charges levied against him by the revolutionaries. Even though this resulted in his execution, it allowed him to die with integrity, and vindicated him after his death.
2) Endure with Dignity
As was proper of his station, Louis carried himself with dignity up until the very end. He faced his death with courage and faith, bearing the weight of his nation’s turmoil upon himself. By doing so, he proved to his subjects that they did not kill just any ordinary man — they killed a God-ordained king.
3) Be Magnanimous
Louis’ willingness to forgive his executioners not only echoes the words of Christ on the Cross (“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”), but also testifies to his inner strength.
In rising above animosity and indignity to forgive his accusers, Louis displayed his magnanimity — and indisputably proved to all that he was, indeed, worthy of the designation “great souled.”
Want to dive deeper?
To commemorate the anniversary of King Louis’ execution, James and I are going live twice this week:
Today, 21 Jan at 9am ET:
Space: The Execution of Louis XVI — The Day the Old World Died
Thursday, 23 Jan at 9am ET:
Video Livestream: The Trial of King Louis XVI and the Triumph of Injustice
The Thursday stream will be added to our Members-Only Video Archive for you to replay after the live broadcast.
Premium subscribers get two extra articles this week: one detailing the minutes from King Louis’ trial, and another examining the restoration of the French monarchy, as well as the current pretenders to the Crown.
If you’re not already a premium subscriber, please consider joining below — or upgrade to our exclusive Praetorian Guard tier of membership.
Ad finem fidelis,
-Evan
Among his other virtues, I am most impressed by his magnanimity and dignity. He was one of the misfortunate historical persons that have been misportrayed.