Born into the opulence of the House of Savoy in 1749, the Princess of Lamballe was thrust into the turbulent tides of French politics through her marriage to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Prince of Lamballe, at the age of 17. Navigating the treacherous waters of the royal court, the princess’s loyalty to the queen drew her to the Tuileries Palace, a grand symbol of royal excess, which became a prison for the royal family during the revolution.
On that fateful day in September 1792, an enraged mob, their hearts hardened by the ravages of inequality and injustice, tore through the streets of Paris with a bloodlust that knew no bounds. The princess, whose only crime was her unwavering loyalty to Marie Antoinette, was brutally murdered, her body subjected to unspeakable acts of violence. Her severed head, grotesquely paraded on a pike through the streets, was taken to the window of Marie Antoinette in the Temple in a monstrous display of revolutionary justice.
The Reign of Terror, overseen by the Committee of Public Safety, led by figures such as Maximilien Robespierre and Georges Danton, resulted in over 40,000 people being executed or dying in prison. Robespierre’s chilling justification, /”Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible./” offers a stark glimpse into the mindset that fueled this period of extreme violence.
Join us as we delve into the heart of the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, unraveling the tragic tale of the Princess of Lamballe, a victim of political turmoil and a symbol of the revolution’s merciless wrath. Welcome to the diary of Julius Caesar.
A Tapestry of Loyalty and Tragedy. The Enigmatic Life of Princess de Lamballe.
In the opulent yet turbulent tapestry of 18th-century French aristocracy, few figures evoke a blend of intrigue and tragedy quite like Princess Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy-Carignan, better known as the Princess de Lamballe. Born into the House of Savoy in Turin, Italy, on September 8, 1749, she was the daughter of Prince Louis Victor of Savoy-Carignan and his consort, Christine Henriette of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg. Thrust into the volatile world of French nobility through her marriage at the age of 17 to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Prince de Lamballe, heir to one of the richest fortunes in France, her life was a canvas of stark contrasts. The opulence of her early life was marked by the grandeur of the Piedmontese court, where she was surrounded by the finest tutors, artists, and musicians of the era.
However, the early loss of her husband in 1768, barely a year into their marriage, left her a young widow at 19. This personal tragedy led to her deep melancholy, a stark contrast to the glittering world she inhabited. But it was this twist of fate that led her to the French court at Versailles, where she would meet Queen Marie Antoinette. The queen, captivated by Lamballe’s ethereal beauty and grace, forged a deep and lasting friendship with her, which would eventually lead to Lamballe’s appointment as Superintendent of the Queen’s Household in 1775. This role was not just a title; it was a testament to the intimate bond they shared, a rarity in the often superficial circles of the royal court.
00:00 French Revolution
2:17 The Enigmatic Life of Princess de Lamballe
5:51 Daily Life in Revolutionary France
9:00 Princess de Lamballe and the Court of Versailles
12:10 Prelude to the French Revolution
15:39 Bastille Day
19:30 The Women’s March That Shook Versailles
22:31 The Waning Years of the French Monarchy
25:42 The Ill-Fated Flight to Varennes
28:54 The Radical Pulse of the French Revolution
31:47 September 1792
34:44 The Fate of Princess de Lamballe
38:48 The Reign of Terror and the Fall of Nobility
42:35 Myths and Legends of the French Revolution
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