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The life of Louis XVI PDF

529 Pages·2016·34.081 MB·English
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The Life of L O U I S X V I j o h n h a r d m a n THE LIFE OF LOUIS XVI i ii The Life of L O U I S X V I j o h n h a r d m a n YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW HAVEN AND LONDON iii To Alan Peachment Copyright © 2016 John Hardman All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press) without written permission from the publishers. For information about this and other Yale University Press publications, please contact: U.S. Office: [email protected] yalebooks.com Europe Office: [email protected] yalebooks.co.uk Typeset in Minion Pro by IDSUK (DataConnection) Ltd Printed in Great Britain by Gomer Press, Llandysul, Ceredigion, Wales Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Hardman, John, 1944– author. Title: The life of Louis XVI / John Hardman. Description: New Haven : Yale University Press, 2016. LCCN 2016001789 | ISBN 9780300220421 (cloth : alk. paper) LCSH: Louis XVI, King of France, 1754–1793. | France—Kings and rulers—Biography. | France—History—Louis XVI, 1774–1793. | France—History—Revolution, 1789–1799. Classification: LCC DC137 .H369 2016 | DDC 944/.035092—dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016001789 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 iv contents List of Illustrations and Maps vi Preface x 1 A Dark and Difficult Childhood 1 2 Youth on the Throne 40 3 The Bright Beginning, 1774–76 64 4 Drift Towards War, 1776–78 101 5 American Liberty and Royal Debt, 1778–82 135 6 The Embarrassments of Peace, 1783–85 181 7 Unravelling, 1785–86 199 8 Royal Revolution: The Assembly of Notables of 1787 230 9 The Road to the Estates- General, May 1787–May 1789 274 10 The Silent King and the Third Estate 304 11 The Invasion of a Palace 334 12 The Revolution Caricatures Itself, October 1789–June 1791 351 13 The Flight to Montmédy 370 14 Playing by the Book of the Constitution, 13 September 1791– 406 10 August 1792 15 The Prisoner in the Temple 427 Genealogies 448 Notes 450 Bibliography 478 Index 488 v Illustrations and Maps Plates 1 Louis XV, creamware bust, c. 1747–60. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 2 The dauphin, Louis-Ferdinand, school of Roslin, 1760s. The National Gallery/akg-images. 3 Louis, duc de Berry, pastel by Quentin de la Tour, c. 1765. akg-images. 4 A selection of medals depicting events in Louis XVI’s life. Author’s collec- tion, photos © Tom Dunn. 5 Louis’s family, snuff box, c. 1776–89. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 6 Marie-Antoinette, snuff box by Neuber, c. 1780. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 7 Armand-Thomas Hue de Miromesnil, marble bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon, 1775. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 8 Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, pastel by Joseph Ducreux, eighteenth century. akg-images/De Agostini Picture Lib./G. Dagli Orti. 9 Chrétien Guillaume de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, marble bust by A.D. Chaudet, eighteenth century. akg-images/De Agostini Picture Lib./G. Dagli Orti. 10 Jacques Necker, Wedgwood Jasperware, c. 1780. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 11 B enjamin Franklin, souvenir Sèvres coffee can, c. 1780. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 12 The dramatis personae in the Diamond Necklace Affair, from Les mystères de la science by Louis Figuier, 1893. akg-images/De Agostini Picture Library. vi Illustrations and Maps vii 13 Louis’s letter to Breteuil, 1 [June 1786]. Author’s collection, photo © Tom Dunn. 14 Louis and the people of Normandy, printed cotton, c. 1786. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 15 Charles-Alexandre de Calonne, oil painting by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, 1784. Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2016/Bridgeman Images. 16 Silver wine-taster presented by Louis to Lamoignon, Paris, 1786–89. Author’s collection, photo © Tom Dunn. 17 Representatives of the three estates pay homage to Louis and Necker, French school, 1789. akg-images/Erich Lessing. 18 Lacquer snuff box, 1789. Author’s collection, photo © Tom Dunn. 19 Marquis de Lafayette, colour copper print by L.P. Debucourt, 1790. akg- images. 20 Honoré-Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, bust in biscuit porcelain, c. 1790–91. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 21 Louis’s coach being stopped on the bridge at Varennes, aquatint after engraving by Domenico Pellegrini, eighteenth century. akg-images. 22 Louis accepts the constitution, coloured etching, 1791. akg-images. 23 L ouis before his execution, chalk drawing by Joseph Ducreux, 1793. akg-images. 24 Louis’s execution, painting by Charles Benazech, 1793. akg-images. Maps France and its historic provinces. viii Sites in France visited by Louis XVI. ix GREAT BRITAIN DUTCH REPUBLIC FLANDERS AND Calais HAINAULT Lille AUSTRIAN English Channel ARTOIS NETHERLANDS Arras Y PICARDY METZ AND D A N Rouen E VERLDuUxeNmbourg M ÎLE-DE- N O R FRAPNarCisE ReimsAGN LO B R I T TA N Y Versailles MP RR E Rennes M A I N E A TOUL A C Le Mans Orléans H I A Angers ORLÉANAIS C NE S Nantes ANJOU Tours L A TOURAINE Bourges BDijon FRANCHE- BERRY NIVERNAISU Besançon P O I T O U R COMTÉ La Rochelle Poitiers G BOURBONNAIS U SWITZERLAND AUNIS MARCHE N SAINTONGE Clermont D AND ANGOUMOIS Ferrand LYONNAIS Y LIMOUSIN Lyons Bay of AUVERGNE S A V O Y Biscay Bordeaux G U Y E N N E C A N D DAUPHINÉ G A S C O N Y O D E PIEDMONT Toulouse UAvignon VENAISSIN BÉARN G N PROVENCE A Marseille NAVARRE L FOIX BOUSSILLON S P A I N Mediterranean Sea 0 km 100 0 miles 100 France and its historic provinces. viii GREAT BRITAIN DUTCH REPUBLIC HOLY Calais ROMAN EMPIRE AUSTRIAN Lille NETHERLANDS English Channel R Arras hine Cherbourg Rouen Compiègne Caen Montmédy Seine SainRtee-iMmesnehVoaureldnnesClermont-en-Argonne Marly Bondy Châlons-en-Champagne Saint-Cloud PARIS Versailles Choisy Montmirail Meuse Moselle Fontainebleau Le Mans Orléans Angers Loire Tours Bourges Dijon Saône 0 km 100 Besançon SWITZERLAND 0 miles 100 Sites in France visited by Louis XVI, shown in bold. Bondy, Sainte-Menehould, Châlons and Clermont are points on the king’s ill-fated journey to Varennes. ix

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