The appearance of a young officer dressed in an American uniform caused a great stir when Lafayette was recognized. He was hailed as a hero and not a traitor to France. Lafayette was welcomed throughout France and embraced by ministers in Paris and even Queen Marie Antoinette. “I had left as a rebel and fugitive and returned in triumph as an idol,” Lafayette declared in his memoirs. In his memoirs, Lafayette made references to reveling in the “celebrity status” in Paris and throughout France.
