The Original Mass Burial Site of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Louis XVI became the final king of France on August 23, 1754 before the Revolution terminated the monarchy. His reign of over 38 years was unceremoniously concluded by guillotine. His wife, Marie Antoinette met the identical fate nine months later. Four months before his execution, his name was unceremoniously modified to Citizen Louis Capet. Not until the emergence of Charles X in 1824 was the monarchy restored.
Louis’s primary character liability was his indecisiveness and unwillingness to negotiate with government reformers. Given his upbringing, he could not reconcile to himself that many of his subjects were suffering individuals. History has branded him simply as a victim. Any accomplishments during his reign have been relegated to insignificance. The city of Paris features minimal memorials acknowledging his life. One of the strangest might be considered the Square Louis XVI.
Discretely situated in the Malesherbes district is an obscure park bearing his name. Square Louis XVI was the site of a cemetery for the nearby Madeleine Church dating back to the 18th century. Following their execution, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were buried in a mass grave on the grounds along with 3,000 other Revolutionary fatalities. For twenty-one years, their remains became intermingled with the other dead. Future King Louis XVIII ordered their remains exhumed and re-interned at the Basilica St. Denis for a consecrated royal burial.
Proper identification would likely have become nearly impossible as the bodies were covered in quicklime to hasten the decomposition. Two remains were indeed removed and supposedly confirmed. The likelihood of accuracy however remains dubious. It is more probable that somewhere amidst the entangled bones and skeletons, France’s former king and queen still rest in perpetuity.