Louis XVI

I've not posted this photo before, because it's kind of borderline, but am throwing it out there because it's connected to the previous post.  I took it in Paris' Musée Carnavalet which is stocked full of thousands and thousands of objects, paintings, reconstructed rooms, artifacts of the history of the city and the country.  It's by far my favorite museum and the three times I've visited haven't allowed time to see a fraction of what it has to offer.  Next trip, I'll spend at least a full day there and it won't be nearly enough.  I stand and stare at the Royal Family's personal effects, including toys, lesson books, and Louis' hair, shorn before his execution, and try to understand.  Because of what I interpret to be a not-too-subtle territorial statement, the exhibits aren't translated from French.   I know enough to get the general idea, but I'm going to see if my (technically, former) sister-in-law, Michele, will go with me to fill in the blanks.  She, lucky woman, is French and lives in Paris.  I, lucky woman, am going to see a lot of her in March.  

Carnavalet is housed in two mansions.  One was owned by Madame Sévigné whose 1100 or so letters written to her daughter are an important source of information into 17th Century court  life.  And, a glimpse into their sometimes odd relationship.  The other mansion was owned by Le Peletier, a member of the Convention.   It's thought that he cast the deciding vote for the execution of Louis XVI.  Supposedly, he was influenced by duc d'Orleans, AKA Phillippe Égalité, the King's dastardly cousin.  That association that didn't end well, considering that Le Peletier was assassinated in a restaurant at the Palais Royale, the duke's home and well-known hotbed of revolutionary and criminal goings-ons, on the same day Louis was guillotined.  One fascinating thing leads to another in this story.  Fascinating to me anyway.