So last Tuesday I was scrolling through some historical memes and saw this cartoon of Marie Antoinette with a fancy cake. Got me wondering – what actually went down during her execution? Time for some digging.
Getting Started
First I grabbed my laptop and hit the library database. Typed in “Marie Antoinette death real story” – boom, got like 200+ results. Started clicking through academic papers but man, those footnotes were longer than my grocery list.
The Deep Dive
Realized quick that most pop history gets it wrong. Wrote down these key things people always mess up:
- The Hair Myth: Everybody says they chopped off her hair before execution. Nope! Prison records show guards just trimmed it above the neckline so the blade wouldn’t catch.
- Last Words Drama: That famous “Pardon me sir” apology? Total Victorian era fanfiction. Eyewitness accounts from 1793 say she stepped on the executioner’s foot and muttered “Excuse me” – not some grand speech.
- Secret Letters: Found this crazy archive about her last writings. She was smuggling notes to friends using lemon juice as invisible ink on book pages. Guards nearly caught her twice.
Roadblock City
Hit major confusion about the carriage ride to the guillotine. Some sources said she rode alone, others claimed guards sat inside with her. Took me three hours cross-referencing prisoner logs and weather reports (!) to confirm she had two armed jailers crammed in that smelly box with her the whole bumpy ride.
The Execution Scene
Most shocking find? The crowd wasn’t all rowdy peasants like movies show. Police reports listed bankers, shopkeepers, even some actors in the front rows. And get this – several witnesses vomited when her head dropped in the basket. Not so tough now huh?
Wrapping Up
After like four days buried in old trial documents, here’s my takeaway: she wasn’t just some “cake queen”. That whole execution was messy political theater. The revolutionaries totally used her death as propaganda fuel. Kinda makes you wonder what future people will get wrong about our times.
Anyway, my brain’s fried. If you want sources, hit me up – but fair warning, some are in French and the handwriting sucks.
