Flight to Varennes

Marie Antoinette leaves Paris with the royal family during the attempted escape.

Marie Antoinette Queen of France left Paris with the royal family during the attempted escape.

Bouille prepares loyal troops near Montmedy as the intended military support for Louis XVI.

Prepares loyal troops near Montmedy as intended support for Louis XVI.

Madame Elisabeth accompanies Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the escape attempt.

Accompanies Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the escape attempt.

Louis Auguste Bourbon Louis XVI left the Tuileries Palace during the night escape toward the eastern frontier.

Louis XVI leaves the Tuileries Palace during the night escape toward the eastern frontier.

Louis Charles is taken from the Tuileries as part of the royal family escape party.

Taken from the Tuileries as part of the royal family's escape party.

Marie Therese Charlotte travels with her parents during the failed royal flight.

Travels with her parents during the failed royal flight.

Breteuil supports the royal plan and expects foreign and royalist backing if the king reaches safety.

Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier Breteuil Baron de Breteuil supported the royal escape plan and expects foreign and royalist backing if the king reaches safety.

Axel von Fersen helps organise the escape and provides practical support for the royal family.

Hans Axel Fersen Count Fersen helped organize the royal family's escape from Paris.

Fersen drives or escorts the first stage of the flight before separating from the royal party near Bondy.

Lafayette commands the National Guard responsible for watching the royal family at the Tuileries.

Commands the National Guard responsible for watching the royal family at the Tuileries.

Madame de Tourzel travels in disguise as Baroness de Korff to protect the royal children.

Travels in disguise as Baroness de Korff with the royal children.

Argues that the king's flight exposes a grave crisis of trust in the monarchy.

Madame Elisabeth is held with the royal family in Varennes after recognition of the king.

Sauce receives the detained travellers in Varennes while local officials decide whether they are the royal family.

Louis XVI is stopped at Varennes before reaching the royalist troops near Montmedy.

Stopped at Varennes before reaching the royalist troops near Montmedy.

Commands the escort that takes Louis XVI from Paris to Varennes.

Madame de Tourzel is detained with the children after the false Baroness de Korff identity fails.

Marie Antoinette is detained with the royal family after the escape fails at Varennes.

Detained with the royal family after the escape fails at Varennes.

Held with the royal family in Varennes after recognition of the king.

Louis Charles is kept with the royal family while officials arrange the return to Paris.

Detained with the royal family after recognition at Varennes.

Marie Therese Charlotte witnesses the detention of the royal family at Varennes.

Sauce keeps the royal party under local supervision while messengers and guards gather in the town.

Keeps the royal party under local supervision while guards and messengers gather.

Detained with the royal children after the escape fails.

Marie Antoinette remains with the heavy coach despite the danger that the slow vehicle will delay the escape.

Bailly faces a political emergency in Paris after news spreads that the king has disappeared.

Bouille expects the royal family to reach the frontier but the escape collapses before his forces can help.

Louis XVI continues the journey eastward after the first carriage arrangements are completed outside Paris.

After the kings flight to Varennes Robespierre and other Jacobins question the future of constitutional monarchy.

Jacques Destez is called because he had known the king at Versailles and confirms Louis XVIs identity.

Confirms the king's identity at Varennes after being summoned by local officials.

Drouet rides ahead to warn Varennes and prevent the royal party from continuing toward Montmedy.

Rides ahead to warn Varennes and stop the royal party.

Barnave is sent by the National Assembly to escort the royal family back after the arrest.

Antoine Pierre Joseph Marie Barnave was sent by the National Assembly to escort the royal family back to Paris.

La Tour-Maubourg joins the commissioners charged with returning the royal family to Paris.

Charles Cesar La Tour-Maubourg was sent as an Assembly commissioner to return the royal family to Paris.

Petion is sent as an Assembly commissioner to accompany the royal family back toward Paris.

Jerome Petion was sent as an Assembly commissioner to accompany the royal family back to Paris.

Barnave travels beside the royal family and begins to favour preserving a constitutional monarchy.

Petion observes the royal family closely during the guarded return from Varennes.

Louis XVI and his family are escorted back to Paris. Louis XVI and his family are arrested during an ill fated escape from France.

Marie Antoinette returns to the Tuileries under guard after the failed flight to Varennes.

Returns to the Tuileries under guard after the failed flight to Varennes.

Madame Elisabeth returns to captivity in the Tuileries after the Varennes episode.

Marie Antoinette endures the guarded journey back to Paris under hostile public scrutiny.

Barnave defended royal inviolability and constitutional monarchy after the Flight to Varennes.

Adrien Duport joined the Feuillant split after the Varennes crisis.

Beauharnais was elected again as president of the National Assembly after his calm handling of the Varennes crisis.

Uses the crisis to question whether France can safely retain Louis XVI as king.

Uses the royal flight to intensify pressure against the monarchy.

Denounces the attempted royal flight as evidence of court hostility to the Revolution.

Attacks the king's veto and supports stronger popular pressure after the Varennes crisis.

Louis XVI took place on the anniversary of the Tennis Court Oath and the Flight to Varennes. Listens to demands for new laws on priests and federes and to recall ministers. Dons the cap of liberty.