The EXHUMATION Of Queen Marie Antoinette | What Happened To Her Body?

Step back in time to the tumultuous days of the French Revolution as we explore the fate of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette following their executions and the eventual journey of their remains to their final resting place.

After the grim events of January and October 1793, the bodies of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were hastily buried in the Madeleine cemetery without ceremony. Marie Antoinette's body, left unattended on the grass after her execution, bore witness to the indignities of the time. Yet, even in death, their story was far from over.

Years later, upon Marie Antoinette's daughter Marie Thérèse's return to France, she visited the cemetery accompanied by Pauline de Tourzel. The scene was somber as Marie Thérèse knelt in prayer at the site, a simple garden adorned with two weeping willows, tended to by Pierre Louis Desclozeaux.

The exhumation of the royal remains revealed a poignant sight – Marie Antoinette's deteriorated body, her skull recognizable by the unique shape of her mouth, and remnants of her attire from the day of her execution. Louis XVI's remains followed, and both were transferred to new coffins with appropriate inscriptions.

On 21 January 1815, a solemn procession marked the journey of the King and Queen to the Cathedral of SaintDenis, coinciding with the anniversary of Louis XVI's execution. Today, a sculpture in the main church commemorates their memory, while their remains rest in the necropolis beneath a black marble slab.

Their original burial site, once a simple cemetery, is now marked by a chapel, a poignant reminder of their tumultuous end. Additionally, the Conciergerie, where they were held before their executions, houses a chapel honoring the royal martyrs – Louis XVI, his sister Élisabeth, and Marie Antoinette.

Join us as we reflect on the journey of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, from the chaos of the Revolution to their final resting place, a testament to the enduring legacy of monarchy amidst turbulent times.