The Well Timed Death of a National Traitor

Honore Gabriel Riqueti, the Count of Mirabeau died at the peak of his acclaim and involvement with the French Revolution. As a previous nobleman, he had been involved with various scandals that had compromised his reputation. His previous gambling debts, violent disposition and rash behavior landed him in prison at the Chateau de Vincennes. His oration skills at the beginning of the Revolution sanitized his past and vaulted him into a top leadership role in the political hierarchy between 1789-1791. He was considered a voice of the people and known for his politics of moderation in an increasing radical Revolutionary Council. He was one of the few voices advocating the continuance of the French throne. He envisioned a constitutional monarchy structured similarly to Great Britain. His health ultimately betrayed him from the excesses of his youth and the strenuous toll from political activity. In 1791, he contracted an inflammation of the sac surrounding his heart. He continued his duties as President of the National Assembly until his death on April 2, 1791 at the age of 42. He was feted with an extravagant funeral and buried in the Pantheon. His legacy at that moment elevated him into a national hero and one of the esteemed early leaders of the revolution. The following year, that perception changed radically. During the trial of Louis XVI, it was unveiled that Mirabeau had secretly acted as an intermediary of the monarchy for payment by the nation’s Austrian enemies. His duplicity reversed his status to national traitor. His remains were removed from the Pantheon and replaced with those of Jean-Paul Marat. He was buried anonymously in a Clamart graveyard.