Thousands of dead in a royal wedding .. royal joy turns into tragedy

Fireworks first appeared in France in 1615 during the celebration of the wedding of King Louis XIII and Princess Anna of Austria. Since that time, these games have been used in France to revive royal ceremonies.

During the year 1770, the French royal authorities tended to organize a celebration, attended by a large number of French, to celebrate the marriage of the heir to the throne Louis XVI and the Austrian princess Marie Antoinette. Unfortunately for the French, this celebration turned into a nightmare due to fireworks and stampedes.

At the age of 15, Austrian Princess Marie Antoinette became the wife of the then 14-year-old heir to the French throne, Louis XVI. In the Forest of Compiègne on May 1770, XNUMX, Marie Antoinette met her husband, Louis XVI.

And only two days later, the Palace of Versailles hosted the wedding ceremony, which was attended by a significant number of French royals and nobles.

During this, a large number of French people who came to see their future queen crowded outside the palace. The latter received a decent reception, coinciding with the fans' admiration for the Austrian princess and her appearance. At the royal palace, Marie Antoinette was unable to adapt to the life and traditions of French queens. In the following period, the latter entered into enmity with Madame du Barry, mistress of King Louis XV.

During the following days, the French royal authorities went to hold a large party, to which all the French were summoned, to watch the royal couple and the fireworks that would be launched to celebrate the marriage of the heir to the throne, Louis XVI. According to what was proposed at the time, French officials agreed to hold this ceremony in Louis XV Square on Wednesday, May 30, 1770.

With the start of the fireworks, the attendees noticed plumes of smoke rising from a wooden building, the site of the celebration, decorated with paintings and fabrics. According to reports from that period, the explosion of one of the fireworks caused the outbreak of this fire, which the party organizers were not prepared to confront.

During the following moments, the area lived in a state of panic and panic, as the French, who had gathered in the spot, headed to the stampede, hoping to leave the place. Simultaneously, the royal road was crowded with people who moved erratically, trampling under their feet all who broke down and fell to the ground. Because of the large numbers of the panicked crowd, the security personnel and firefighting teams were unable to create a path towards the site of the fire to put it out.

According to official sources, this stampede killed 132 people and injured about a thousand others. Meanwhile, many contemporary historians doubt this number, suggesting that more than 1500 people were killed in the events of May 30, 1770.

In the following period, the French authorities went to bury the victims of the stampede at Ville-L'Evêque cemetery near the site of the accident. Moreover, the heir to the throne, Louis XVI, discussed with his aides the idea of ​​providing financial compensation out of his own money to the victims on May 30, 1770.