Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Flight of Mesdames Tantes

Madame Adelaïde de France, aunt of Louis XVI
Lauren reports on how the surviving daughters of Louis XV decided to flee in 1790 after the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed. Madame Adelaïde and Madame Victoire would not receive Holy Communion from a priest who had taken the oath to the Revolutionary government, denying the papal supremacy. (Neither would Marie-Antoinette, but she refused to leave Louis XVI's side.) Share

2 comments:

lara77 said...

The republic of "liberte egalite fraternite" held up the King's aunts for days until the National Assembly decided they could leave for Rome. Is it not ironic that those governments "dedicated to freedom" are the most repressive in history. Today's China and yesterday's Soviet Union remind me so much of the the First French Republic. Hypocrites and murderers!

May said...

It all depends on what one means by "freedom". Freedom for whom, to do what?