In 1789, a revolution began in France against the French king, King Louis XVI, and the rich nobles. This was known as the French Revolution. The king and queen and thousands of nobles were put to death and a new type of government, a Republic, was set up in France.
The following were the last words of King Louis XVI just before he was beheaded:
“I die innocent of all the crimes laid to my charge; I Pardon those who have occasioned my death; and I pray to God that the blood you are going to shed may never be visited on France.”
After the execution of the king, France did not have a monarch again. The ideas of the French Revolution soon spread to other countries, including Ireland.