In European history, the Bourbon dynasty can be regarded as a prominent dynasty, once ruling many countries including France, Spain, Italy and so on. During the Bourbon dynasty's rule over France, the development of France into one of the top powers in Europe was the most glorious time of the Bourbon dynasty.
However, when a dynasty is overthrown, the royal family or royal family members of that dynasty are not very good, and there are countless examples in ancient and modern China and abroad to prove this. In the history of Europe, the French Bourbon Dynasty has both glory and decline, and when the Bourbon Dynasty was overthrown, its royal family members suffered a tragic fate, which can be said to be the most miserable royal family in modern Europe.
Louis XVI was the fifth king of the Bourbon dynasty of France, during his reign in France, social contradictions were sharp, and the French people lived in hardship, but Louis XVI's queen Marie Antoinette (hereinafter referred to as "Queen Marie") still took the lead in living a luxurious and profligate life, transforming the palace Versailles into a paradise of pleasure as much as possible, making the people of the whole country boil over. In addition, Louis XVI obeyed Queen Mary's words, the military and political power was controlled by Queen Mary, and the court ministers fought for power and profit in order to please Queen Mary, and the country was in chaos.
Because the Sun King, Louis XIV, established the absolute dominance of the Bourbons in France, the Bourbons always practiced autocracy, and the parliament originally used to supervise the royal family was a figment. In order to appease the people, Louis XVI reconvened the Council of the Three Levels (a parliament composed of representatives of the three classes of clergy, nobles, and commoners), but the council eventually broke down, and the commoners broke with the royal family completely.
On July 14, 1789, a large-scale anti-royal revolution broke out in Paris, the capital of France, with the aim of overthrowing the autocratic Bourbon Dynasty, known in history as the "French Revolution". Because the Bourbon dynasty had lost the hearts of the people, the people of Paris joined the Revolution, and the momentum was very large. Faced with a critical situation, Louis XVI and Queen Mary did not intend to flee, but sent a royal army to suppress the revolution, but they were defeated by the revolutionary army on the same day, and Louis XVI's family was captured by the revolutionary army and imprisoned in another royal palace called the Tuileries.
During his captivity, Louis XVI was forced to compromise and declare the abolition of absolute monarchy and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy, and the power of the crown was greatly limited. However, Louis XVI and Queen Mary did not sincerely support the constitutional monarchy and planned to flee and regain power. On 20 June 1791, Louis XVI, with Queen Mary, The Crown Prince of Charles, Princess Teresa, and a group of four people fled from the Tuileries palace and returned to Versailles the next day.
Although the escape of Louis XVI's family caused dissatisfaction among the French people, what really made the French people extremely angry was Louis XVI's declaration of the constitutional monarchy and ordered the army still loyal to the royal family to suppress the revolution and abolish the parliament. The escape and counterattack of Louis XVI brought the anger of the French people to the extreme, and the two sides once again engaged in fierce fighting. By 1792, the Revolutionary Army had completely defeated the royal army, Louis XVI's family had been captured again, and the Bourbon dynasty had been overthrown.
This time, the revolutionary army did not treat Louis XVI as well as the last time, and the fate of his family can be said to be the most miserable royal family in modern Europe. Louis XVI and the Prince of Charles were imprisoned and beaten, and Queen Mary and Princess Teresa were even worse off, being brutalized and abused by an angry mob in turn, and almost tortured to death.
On 21 January 1793, Louis XVI was sent to the guillotine, and he died with the majesty of a Bourbon king. On October 16, 1793, Queen Mary, who was tortured to the point of inhumanity, was also sent to the guillotine, and she also showed the nobility of a Bourbon queen when she died. On 8 June 1795, Prince Charles was beaten to death in prison.
As for Princess Teresa, she was sent into exile abroad, where she later married her cousin, later Louis XIX. The Bourbon dynasty was restored twice in 1814 and 1815, and finally collapsed in the July Revolution of 1830. Louis XIX inherited the throne from his father Charles X and signed the abdication as the last king of the Bourbon dynasty, but the process was less than an hour, so Princess Teresa actually became the queen of the Bourbon dynasty in less than an hour. It was not until 19 October 1851 that Princess Teresa fell ill while in exile abroad.
King Louis XVI of the Bourbon Dynasty of France, Queen Mary, Prince Charles, princess Teresa, is definitely the most miserable royal family in modern Europe.