The Bourbon Tragedy

The Bourbon Tragedy, by Rupert Furneaux, tells the tragic story of the fall of the ancient French monarchy and the imprisonment of the Bourbon Royal Family in the Tower of the Temple during the French Revolution. The book explores the fate of the Bourbon children, the Dauphin and his sister, who were shut up alone and later released. The fate of the Dauphin remains a mystery, with some claimants suggesting he was rescued and may have been one of the claimants to the French throne.

Format: Hardback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

First published in 1968, The Bourbon Tragedy chronicles the fall of the ancient French monarchy on August 10, 1792. The Bourbon Royal Family found themselves imprisoned within the dark and medieval confines of the tower of the Temple. In the following January, Louis XVI was taken out, tried, and guillotined, followed by the execution of Marie Antoinette in the following months. Tragically, their two children, the Dauphin, a young boy of eight, and his fourteen-year-old sister, were left alone. Their fate remained uncertain for several years. Eventually, in 1795, the girl was released to her maternal Austrian relatives in exchange for eight French prisoners. She managed to survive and even rode alongside her uncle at the Bourbon Restoration, which followed the defeat of Napoleon. However, the fate of the Dauphin remains a mystery. Officially, Louis Charles died on June 8, 1795, but a series of claimants to the French throne later asserted that the boy who perished in the Temple was not the Dauphin, but a substitute, a dumb boy suffering from scrofula. They suggested that the real Dauphin may have been rescued and, in this case, what happened to him? Was one of these claimants truly the Dauphin?

Rupert Furneaux delves into this intriguing problem in his book, which offers an intimate and tragic account of the captivity and fate of the entire Bourbon family during the French Revolution. This book appeals to students of French history, war history, literature, philosophy, and any casual reader with a curiosity for the mysteries of history.

Weight: 648g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032381312