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Discover the Intriguing Side of Royalty: Top 4 Fun Facts About Louis XVI You Never Knew!

illustration of louis-xvi
Dive into the intriguing world of Louis XVI as we uncover some entertaining tidbits about this infamous French monarch!

1. Carpenter King

Before he turned into an expert on "wood"-en stakes in the heart of royal regimes, ol' Louis XVI was quite the carpenter, carving his way to find inner peace: This French king was known for his passion and talent in the arts, particularly in wood carving and furniture making, but his lack of effective leadership ultimately led to the downfall of the monarchy.
Source => sites.psu.edu

2. Failed Royal Escape

In a spectacularly secretive trip gone wrong, Louis XVI and his royal family's attempt to "Varenne" off into the night turned into an embarrassing game of "spot the famous face": The French Revolution led the beleaguered king to plan an escape from Paris in 1791, hoping to reach a nearby fortress and stage a counter-revolution. Alas, their covert venture was foiled in the small town of Varennes-en-Argonne when they were recognized and promptly arrested, sealing their fate and marking a turning point towards stronger opposition to the already shaky monarchy.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

3. Trust Fund Baby King

Before you go blaming poor Louis XVI for being the "King of Debt", haute couture fan and guillotine enthusiast, remember that he was just the 18th century's version of a trust fund baby who inherited a hot mess of finances: Louis XVI, rather unfairly, received the brunt of the blame for France's financial turmoil, but in reality, most of the debt had already accumulated before he took the throne, and he was merely left to navigate a faulty financial system that was always on the verge of collapse.
Source => alphahistory.com

4. Homebody Louis XVI

Paris might have been the hotbed of fashion and luxury, but one resident absolutely didn't "keep up with the Bourbons": Louis XVI, a scholarly homebody, preferred intimate spaces and science projects over Versailles remodeling endeavors and extravagant spending.
Source => en.chateauversailles.fr

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