Stories ·
1789. The year the court left Versailles
Follow the financial crisis, the meetings in the town and the October march that brought the royal family’s life at Versailles to an end.
Palace of Versailles / Your next move
Bring this chapter to life.
Keep exploring Palace of Versailles with our travel partners.
Who could speak for the kingdom
Louis XVI faced a severe financial crisis and difficulties in reforming taxation. War debts, disputes over privilege and the rising price of bread increased the pressure on the monarchy. Royal spending drew criticism, but the crisis reached far beyond the cost of running this palace. The king summoned the Estates General, an assembly representing the clergy, nobility and the rest of the population, known as the Third Estate. It opened on 5 May 1789 in the Menus-Plaisirs building in the town of Versailles. The deputies disagreed over voting and who had the authority to represent the nation.
An oath in the town
On 17 June, the deputies of the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly. Three days later, finding their meeting room closed, they gathered in a nearby indoor tennis court. On 20 June they swore to remain together until France had a constitution. The Royal Tennis Court is a separate building in the town. These events happened close to the palace, while challenging the authority exercised from it. As the summer continued, the fall of the Bastille in Paris and the Assembly’s decisions changed the political situation the king faced.
The march and the departure
On 5 October, a crowd led largely by women marched from Paris to Versailles amid hunger and political tension. National Guardsmen followed. The demands concerned bread and the king’s response to the Revolution. The following morning, some people entered the palace. Guards were killed and Marie-Antoinette took refuge in the king’s apartment. The crowd demanded that the royal family go to Paris. On 6 October they left for the Tuileries Palace, accompanied by the crowd and the National Guard. Versailles ceased to be their royal residence. France adopted a constitution in 1791 that limited the king’s powers. The monarchy was abolished in September 1792. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were executed in Paris in 1793. The palace survived. Its furnishings were dispersed, and its future became a question for the governments that followed. The museum you visit today belongs to that later history.
Photo gallery 1
Image credits
- Azurfrog · Grand Trianon Salon des malachites.JPG · CC BY-SA 3.0 · WebP / AVIF
- G.Garitan · Grand Cabinet madame victoire 1505549.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · WebP / AVIF
- Pedemann · Grand Trianon Billard.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · WebP / AVIF
- Jen Wen Luoh · Petit Trianon - Antichambre 01.jpg · CC BY 2.0 · WebP / AVIF
- Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia · Le grand escalier - Petit Trianon (24276910376).jpg · CC BY 2.0 · WebP / AVIF
- Photo: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons · Cabinet dore Marie-Antoinette Versailles.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0 · WebP / AVIF
- Hyperios · Bosquet du théâtre d eau Les Belles Danses.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · WebP / AVIF
- Léa Le Floc'h · Chateau de Versailles et son reflet.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · WebP / AVIF
- Coyau / Wikimedia Commons · Hameau de la Reine, maison de la Reine depuis les Cascatelles 01.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0 · WebP / AVIF