In 1791, concealed in a small, unobtrustive coach the Royal Family escape from revolutionary Paris and with the solitary exception of a terrifying near discovery in the small border town of Sainte-Menehould arrive safely at the fortress of Montmédy in northeastern France. From this Royalist stronghold King Louis XVI of France appealled to his fellow European Monarchs for support.

Flight of the Bourbons
By Ed and Jackie SpeelIt was the turning point that marked the start of a military campaign to restore Bourbon rule and also the end to the fiction that the Royal Family supported the populist movement. Made possible only by a new steely resolve exhibited by the King ever since he was forced to support his finance ministers and compel the Estates to start paying taxes.

The escape was largely planned by Count Axel von Fersen and the Baron de Breteuil. However Marie Antoinette almost scuppered the plan with pre-conditions, firstly that the Royal Family travel together (reluctantly accepted) and that they bring an insanely large amount of possessions with them (rejected). Had they done so, the Bourbons would have required a large coach that would surely have given the game away.