The last words of 12 executed royals

Princess Élisabeth of France

"In the name of your mother, monsieur, cover me."

Princess Élisabeth was King Louis XVI's youngest sister, and though she was known for having eccentric interests, she was also intensely devoted to her brother and his wife. She argued against revolutionary ideas and refused to flee France when the political climate became increasingly dangerous.

Élisabeth was well-liked by the people for her piety, which might have saved her, but she was too loyal to Louis, joining him when he was forced to Paris and when he and his family attempted to escape. Although she was originally considered for exile, since many saw her as innocent, some of the more enthusiastic revolutionaries demanded her head.

After being found guilty of conspiracy and treason, Élisabeth and a group of alleged conspirators were sent to the guillotine. She accepted her fate, seeing it as the newest stage of martyrdom, and offered comfort to the others before their deaths. When her time came, her only words were the request that the executioner recover her shoulders and protect her modesty.

Joachim Murat, King of Naples

"Soldiers! Do your duty! Straight to the heart but spare the face. Fire!."

Unlike the others on this list, Joachim Murat was not born royalty or even nobility. He was the child of an innkeeper, but his time as a cavalryman resulted in him becoming Napoleon Bonaparte's aide-de-camp. As a reward for faithful service, Murat was married to Bonaparte's sister and rose to positions such as governor of Paris and Grand Duke of Berg and Clèves.

However, Joachim wanted to rule in his own right, fighting for his own kingdom. After Napoleon's brother, Joseph, claimed the Spanish throne, Murat was named King of Naples. He took to the position eagerly, focusing on reform and unification. However, his loyalties were then divided between Napoleon and his own kingdom, which would prove to be his downfall.

Constantly locked in conflict between European allies and Napoleon, Murat was unable to hold his position in Naples. With only a few hundred men behind him, he went to war intending to "die a king." Instead, he was beaten, imprisoned, and found guilty for his part in the death of the Duke de Enghien. He got a memorable death, however, commanding a firing squad of his own troops on how to kill him.