The Affair of the Diamond Necklace was a mysterious incident in the 1780s at the court of Louis XVI of France involving the queen Marie Antoinette. It concerned an unsavoury episode in which the wife of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, whose reputation was already tarnished by gossip and scandal, was implicated in a crime by contemporary public opinion. The Affair was historically significant as one of the events that led to the French populace's disillusionment with the monarchy, which eventually culminated in the French Revolution. Nothing much really happened in the 1780s only that Mary-Anne Tobin was hung in public for wearing a flase beard and voting. ... Louis XVI, born Louis-Auguste de France (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792. ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ... “Kingdom” redirects here. ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on...

Background

The Parisian jewelers Boehmer and Bassenge had spent years collecting precious stones for a necklace that they initially hoped to sell to Madame du Barry, the favourite of Louis XV. After the death of Louis XV in 1774, the jewelers hoped it could be a gift to the new Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Its cost at the time was 1,600,000 livres. In 1778, Louis XVI offered it to the queen as a present. By one account, the queen refused it with the statement that the money would be better spent equipping a man-of-war. According to others, Louis XVI himself changed his mind. City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Jewellery (Jewelry in American spelling) comprises ornamental objects worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... A gemstone is a mineral, rock (as in lapis lazuli) or petrified material that when cut or faceted and polished is collectible or can be used in jewellery. ... A necklace is an article of clothing or jewelry; which is worn around the neck. ... Jeanne Becu, Comtesse Du Barry [1] [2] (Marie-Jeanne, Comtesse Du Barry) (August 19, 1743 - December 8, 1793) was a French courtesan who became the mistress of Louis XV of France. ... Louis XV of France (February 15, 1710 – May 10, 1774), the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1715 until his death. ... Chesma Column in Tsarskoe Selo, commemorating the end of the Russo-Turkish War. ... The livre tournois (or Tournoise pound) was a currency used in France, named after the town of Tours, in which it was minted. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Louis XVI Louis XVI (August 23, 1754 - January 21, 1793), was King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then King of the French in 1791-1792. ... A man of war (also man-of-war, man-o-war or simply man) is an armed naval vessel. ...

After having vainly tried to place the necklace outside of France, the jewelers again attempted to sell it to Marie Antoinette after the birth of the dauphin Louis-Joseph in 1781. The Queen again refused, allegedly with some reluctance. Coat of Arms of the Dauphins of France. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The Affair

A con artist called Jeanne de Saint-Rémy de Valois conceived of a plan to use the necklace to gain wealth and possibly power and royal patronage. A descendant of a bastard of Henry II of France, Jeanne de Valois had after many affairs married a soi-disant (so-called) comte de Lamotte, and lived on a small pension which the king granted her. A confidence trick, confidence game, or con for short, (also known as a scam) is an attempt to intentionally mislead a person or persons (known as the mark) usually with the goal of financial or other gain. ... Jeanne de Valois was born in France 1756 to a peasant family. ... // Illegitimacy is a term that was once in common use for the status of being born to parents who were not validly married to one another. ... Henry II (French: Henri II) (March 31, 1519 – July 10, 1559), a member of the Valois Dynasty, was King of France from March 31, 1547, until his death. ... Nicholas de Lamotte (1755-1831), originally Antoine-Nicolas de la Motte (de Lamotte), was a 18th century Frenchman known for his part as a conman in the affair of the diamond necklace and as the husband of Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Remy. ...

In March 1784 she entered into relations with Louis René Édouard, Cardinal de Rohan the former ambassador to Vienna. The Cardinal was regarded with displeasure by Marie Antoinette, having revealed some of her secrets to Maria Theresa of Austria, the Empress of the Holy Roman Empire and Marie Antoinette's mother, bringing a maternal reprimand. The Queen also learned of a letter in which the Cardinal spoke lightly of Maria Theresa in a way that offended Marie Antoinette. 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... “Wien” redirects here. ... The worlds most famous coin, a silver thaler of Maria Theresa, dated 1780. ...

At the time the Cardinal was attempting to regain the favour of the queen in his quest for the position of Prime Minister of France. Valois persuaded him that she had been received by the Queen and enjoyed her favour, and Rohan resolved to use her to regain the Queen's goodwill. The comtesse de Lamotte assured the cardinal that she was making efforts on his behalf. The Prime Minister of France (Premier ministre de la France) is the functional head of the Cabinet of France. ...

This was the beginning of an alleged correspondence between Rohan and the queen, the adventuress duly returning replies to Rohan's notes, which she affirmed had come from the queen. The tone of the letters became very warm, and the cardinal, convinced that Marie-Antoinette was in love with him, became ardently enamoured of her. He begged the countess to obtain a secret interview for him with the queen, and a meeting took place in August 1784 in a grove in the garden at Versailles between him and a lady whom the cardinal believed to be the queen herself. This lady was a prostitute called Nicole Leguay who bore a remarkable resemblance to the Queen. Rohan offered her a rose, and she promised him that she would forget their past disagreements. Versailles (pronounced in French), formerly de facto capital of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important administrative and judicial center. ...

The countess took advantage of the Cardinal's conviction, by borrowing from him sums of money destined ostensibly for the queen’s works of charity. Enriched by these, the countess was able to take an honourable place in society, and many persons believed her relations with Marie Antoinette, of which she boasted openly and unreservedly, to be genuine. It is still an unsettled question whether she simply mystified people, or whether she was really employed by the queen for some unknown purpose, perhaps to ruin the cardinal.

In any case the jewelers Boehmer and Bassenge believed in the relations of the countess with the queen, and they resolved to use her to sell their necklace. She at first refused their commission, then accepted it.

On January 21, 1785 the Countess de Lamotte announced that the queen would buy the necklace, but that not wishing to openly buy such an expensive thing, she would use a high person as an intermediary. A little while later Rohan came to negotiate the purchase of the famous necklace for the 1,600,000 livres, payable in installments. He claimed to have the queen's authorization, and showed the jewelers the conditions of the bargain approved in the handwriting of Marie Antoinette. Rohan took the necklace to the countess' house, where a man, in whom Rohan believed he recognized a valet of the queen, came to fetch it. January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... An instalment or installment in American English usually refers to either: An instalment in a television or radio series. ...

Shortly afterwards, the "comte de Lamotte" appears to have started at once for London, it is said with the necklace, which she broke up in order to sell the stones. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

When the time came to pay, the Comtesse de Lamotte presented the cardinal's notes; but these were insufficient, and Boehmer complained to the queen, who told him that she had received no necklace and had never ordered it. She had the story of the negotiations repeated for her. Then followed a coup de théâtre. On August 15, 1785, Assumption Day, when the whole court was awaiting the king and queen in order to go to the chapel, the Cardinal de Rohan, who was preparing to officiate, was taken before, among others, the king, the queen, the Minister of the Court Breteuil and the Keeper of the Seal Miromesnil to explain himself. Rohan produced a (forged) letter signed by "Marie-Antoinette de France" that the King read. The King became furious and couldn't understand how Rohan, a prince, could have let himself been fooled by such a forgery; no royal would sign "de France". Rohan was arrested and taken to the Bastille. He was able, however, to destroy the correspondence exchanged, as he thought, with the queen, and it is not known whether there was any connivance of the officials, who did not prevent this, or not. The Comtesse de Lamotte was not arrested until August 18, 1785, after having destroyed her papers. is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... According to Catholic theology and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, the body of Mary, the mother of Jesus, venerated by these denominations as the Blessed Virgin Mary or Theotokos, respectively, was taken into Heaven along with her soul after her death. ... Louis-Auguste le Tonnelier Louis-Auguste le Tonnelier, baron de Breteuil, baron de Preuilly (March 7, 1730 – November 2, 1807) was a French aristocrat, statesman and politician. ... The Bastille The Bastille ( ) was a prison in Paris, known formally as Bastille Saint-Antoine—Number 232, Rue Saint-Antoine—best known today because of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which along with the Tennis Court Oath is considered the beginning of the French Revolution. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The police set to work to find all her accomplices, and arrested the prostitute Nicole Leguay and a certain Rétaux de Villette, a friend of the countess, who confessed that he had written the letters given to Rohan in the queen's name, and had imitated her signature on the conditions of the bargain. The famous charlatan Cagliostro was also arrested, but it was recognised that he had taken no part in the affair. Rétaux de Villette was born in France in the late 18th century. ... Look up Charlatan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Alessandro Cagliostro Count Alessandro di Cagliostro (June 2, 1743 – August 26, 1795) was a traveller, occultist and Freemason. ...

The cardinal de Rohan accepted the parlement of Paris as judges. A sensational trial resulted (May 31, 1786) in the acquittal of the cardinal, of the girl Oliva and of Cagliostro. The Comtesse de Lamotte was condemned to be whipped, branded and shut up in the prostitutes' prison, the Salpêtrière, but the whipping and branding were not executed, and she escaped from prison in June of the following year. Her husband was condemned, in his absence, to the galleys for life. Villette was banished. Parlements (pronounced in French) in ancien régime France — contrary to what their name would suggest to the modern reader — were not democratic or political institutions, but law courts . ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Whipping on a post Flagellation is the act of whipping (Latin flagellum, whip) the human body. ... Branding persons refers to the use of the same physical techniques as in livestock branding on a consenting or constrained human, a form of body modification (see that article for general considerations) similar to scarification (see that article for technical details). ... The Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital is a hospital in Paris. ... A French galley and Dutch men-of-war off a port by Abraham Willaerts, painted 17th century. ...

The scandal

Public opinion was much excited by this trial. Most historians come to the conclusion that Marie Antoinette was relatively blameless in the matter, that Rohan was an innocent dupe, and that the Lamottes deceived both for their own ends. This was also broadly the finding of the Paris Parlement, although they did not comment on the actions of the Queen. Public Opinion is a book on media and democracy by Walter Lippmann. ...

Many people in France persisted in the belief that the queen had used the countess as an instrument to satisfy her hatred of the cardinal de Rohan. Various circumstances fortified this belief, which contributed to render Marie Antoinette very unpopular -- her disappointment at Rohan's acquittal and the fact that he was deprived of his charges and exiled to the abbey of la Chaise-Dieu. The comtesse de Lamotte escaped from the Salpêtrière, which incited suspicion she was aided by the Court. The Parliament's acquittal of Rohan also pointed to an assumption that Marie Antoinette was somehow in the wrong. The abbey at La Chaise-Dieu La Chaise-Dieu is French commune, located in the département of Haute-Loire in the région of Auvergne. ...

The Countess de Lamotte took refuge in London and published her Mémoires in which she accused the queen.

Significance

The affair of the necklace was important in discrediting the French monarchy in the years before the Revolution. Marie Antoinette was an unpopular figure, and salacious gossip about her made her even more of a liability to her husband. She was never able to shake off the idea in the public imagination that she had perpetrated a multi-million livre fraud for her own political ends. The circulation of sexual scandal and arguments about necklaces cannot have made her appear to be more in touch with the ordinary people. The affair also prompted Louis XVI to move closer to his wife, which arguably did not help him deal with later policy dilemmas. Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ...

The affair in fiction

• Diamond Necklace, by Thomas Carlyle (1837)
• The Queen's Necklace, by Alexandre Dumas, père (1848) (ISBN: 1589632095)
• The Queen's Necklace, by Maurice Leblanc (1905) (An Arsène Lupin Story)
• The Rose of Versailles, by Riyoko Ikeda (manga and anime)
• Norby and the Queen's Necklace, by Isaac Asimov (1986)
• The Affair of the Necklace (2001 film)

This is a list of idioms that were recognizable to literate people in the late 19th century, and have become unfamiliar since. ... The most familiar view of Carlyle is as the bearded sage with a penetrating gaze. ... Alexandre Dumas, père, born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (July 24, 1802 – December 5, 1870) was a French writer, best known for his numerous historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world. ... Maurice Leblanc Maurice Leblanc Maurice-marie-émile Leblanc (11 December 1864 - 6 November 1941) was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French counterpart to Conan Doyles creation Sherlock... The Rose of Versailles (ベルサイユのばら Berusaiyu no bara), also known as Lady Oscar, by Riyoko Ikeda, is one of the best-known titles in shōjo manga, which has been adapted into an anime television series, produced by TMS and broadcast by the anime television network Animax and Nippon Television. ... Riyoko Ikeda (æ± ç”° 理代子 Ikeda Riyoko, born 1947) is a Japanese mangaka. ... Manga )   (pl. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920?[1] – April 6, 1992), IPA: , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов) was a Russian-born American Jewish author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ... The Affair of the Necklace is a 2001 film directed by Charles Shyer and starring Hilary Swank, Jonathan Pryce, Simon Baker, Adrien Brody, and Joely Richardson. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• Alexander Lernet-Holenia: Das Halsband der Königin (The Queen's Necklace, Paul Zsolnay Verlag, Hamburg/Vienna, 1962, historical study on the affair of the diamond necklace)