The assassination attempt on Louis XV of France by Robert-François Damiens arose from a context of dissatisfaction among the French populace towards the monarchy. Damiens, a man driven by personal grievances against the king and the broader issues of governance, walked up to Louis XV as he was returning to the palace in Paris and fatally stabbed him with a knife. Although severely wounded, the king miraculously survived the attempt on his life. This shocking incident sent ripples through the court and the nation, stirring fears about the safety of the monarchy.

Following the failed assassination, Damiens was immediately captured and faced interrogation. The authorities sought to uncover whether Damiens had accomplices or was acting alone. Ultimately, he was tried and found guilty of regicide. In a grim application of justice that underlined the severity with which the monarchy viewed threats to its stability, Damiens was executed by drawing and quartering. This particularly gruesome form of capital punishment highlighted the period's brutal justice system tailored for offenses against the king.

Overall, the attempt and its aftermath became emblematic of the fraught relationship between the monarchy and its subjects. The incident heightened the atmosphere of paranoia at court and intensified critiques of Louis XV's rule, which would continue to simmer and contribute to the revolutionary sentiments that would erupt later in the century.