A Last Minute Change of Rides
The escape party split up once the royal fugitives made it out of Paris. The king, queen, and their children took a post route, while von Fersen continued on via a different route. They planned to meet again at Montmedy, but thanks to a change of plans, the reunion never took place. To spirit away the French royal family and their close intimates, von Fersen had arranged for two fast light carriages, that could have made it to Montmedy relatively quickly. However, the royal family would have had to split up and travel in two separate carriages. Louis and Marie Antoinette adamantly refused to accept that.
Instead, the royal couple decided on a different ride at the last minute: a bigger and more conspicuous carriage drawn by six horses, that could accommodate everybody. It turned out to be a bad choice. Louis entered the contraption disguised as the valet of a Russian noblewoman – the governess of the royal children, who pretended to be their mother. Marie Antoinette pretended to be a governess, while her sister acted like a nurse. They made it out of Paris unchallenged, but they soon regretted their last minute carriage change.
