Question 1

True or false: Louis XVI ordered the arrest of the revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre in 1792.

Accepted Answer

False. Robespierre was never arrested by Louis XVI; the king was deposed before Robespierre's rise to power.

Question 2

True or false: Louis XVI was an accomplished astronomer who discovered a comet in 1781.

Accepted Answer

False. That was William Herschel; Louis XVI had a strong interest in geography and locks, not astronomy.

Question 3

True or false: Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette had a happy, loving marriage despite popular myths of indifference.

Accepted Answer

True. After initial awkwardness, they grew deeply devoted; letters show genuine affection until the end.

Question 4

True or false: Louis XVI was an enthusiastic locksmith and spent hours working on locks in his private workshop.

Accepted Answer

True. He loved tinkering with locks and even had a personal forge, surprising for a king.

Question 5

True or false: Louis XVI was an obese, gluttonous king who ate massive meals daily.

Accepted Answer

False. He was actually tall and strong, with a healthy appetite but not obese; this myth stemmed from revolutionary propaganda.

Question 6

True or false: Louis XVI personally redesigned the guillotine to make it more efficient before his own execution.

Accepted Answer

True. He suggested the diagonal blade, but it was Dr. Guillotin who popularized the device; the king's input is debated.

Question 7

True or false: Louis XVI fled to Varennes in 1791 disguised as a valet to escape the Revolution.

Accepted Answer

False. He fled disguised as a servant, but his plan failed; he was recognized and captured. That part is true, but he was not a valet—he was a royal courier.

Question 8

True or false: Louis XVI was executed on January 21, 1793, by a guillotine that he himself had helped improve.

Accepted Answer

True. He died by guillotine on that date; his suggested blade design may have been used, though unconfirmed.

Louis XVI Trivia Questions