Which French queen was executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793?

The French queen executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793, was Marie Antoinette. The former queen was convicted by the Revolutionary Tribunal and executed in Paris during the French Revolution.

Born an Austrian archduchess, Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI in 1770 and became queen of France in 1774. Her foreign birth, lavish court image, and association with royal spending made her a powerful target for revolutionary propaganda. The famous phrase “Let them eat cake” is commonly attributed to her, but historians have found no reliable evidence that she actually said it.

The monarchy was abolished in September 1792, and Louis XVI was guillotined in January 1793. Marie Antoinette remained imprisoned until October, when prosecutors accused her of treason and of conspiring with foreign powers. The trial was brief and politically charged; she was convicted and taken to the guillotine the next morning.

Marie Antoinette was executed at what was then called the Place de la Révolution, now the Place de la Concorde. Madame du Barry was also guillotined during the Revolution, but she was a royal favorite rather than the queen and was executed in December 1793.