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Secondary sourceBook1906

The Flight of Marie Antoinette

G. Lenotre · 1906

A 1906 history by G. Lenotre recounting the royal family's failed escape attempt to Varennes, a turning point in the queen's story.

A detailed secondary account of Marie Antoinette's failed flight from Paris to Varennes in 1791.

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About this source

What it is

A 1906 book by the French historian G. Lenotre, translated into English, describing the attempted flight of the royal family from Paris, which ended at Varennes. It covers the planning, the journey, and the pursuit, including the role of Count Axel de Fersen.

Why it matters

The failed escape was a turning point that destroyed public trust in King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, making them look like they were trying to flee the country rather than reform it. Lenotre's detailed, well-sourced account helps students see how one failed journey could change the course of a revolution.

Look closer

  • Why would the royal family's attempt to leave Paris be seen as such a betrayal by the public?
  • What role might individuals like Fersen have played in shaping the outcome?
  • How does a historian writing over a century later reconstruct such a dramatic night?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Marie Antoinette on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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