Inaugural meeting of the Estates General, 5th May 1789. Painting by Louis-Charles-Auguste Couder (1789 - 1873). The estates general was a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners (Third Estate). Summoned by King Louis XVI, it was brought to an end when the Third Estate formed into a National Assembly, inviting the other two to join, against the wishes of the King. This signals the outbreak of the French Revolution.

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Photo credit: © World History Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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