Affair of the Diamond Necklace

The Affair of the Diamond Necklace (1784–1785) was a notorious scandal in pre-revolutionary France that tarnished the reputation of Queen Marie Antoinette and helped fuel the public discontent that led to the French Revolution. The affair involved a fraudulent scheme to procure an extravagant diamond necklace, deceit, and manipulation, ultimately dragging the queen into controversy even though she was innocent. This scandal contributed to Marie Antoinette’s growing unpopularity and further undermined the prestige of the French monarchy.

Background: The Diamond Necklace
The extravagant necklace at the center of the scandal was designed by Charles Boehmer and Paul Bassenge, two Parisian jewelers. The necklace was one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry ever made at the time, consisting of 647 diamonds and valued at about 2 million livres (a fortune in 18th-century France). The jewelers initially created the necklace for Madame du Barry, the mistress of King Louis XV, but the king died before it could be completed.

After King Louis XV’s death in 1774, Boehmer and Bassenge found themselves with a necklace they could not sell, and they attempted to persuade Queen Marie Antoinette to purchase it. However, the queen refused, as she felt the expense was too extravagant, especially in the midst of France’s financial crisis.

The Key Players
Several individuals played crucial roles in the Affair of the Diamond Necklace:

Jeanne de la Motte: A conwoman and adventuress, Jeanne de la Motte-Valois came from a noble family but was impoverished. Claiming descent from the Valois royal family, she used her background to gain favor in aristocratic circles. Jeanne was the mastermind behind the scheme to obtain the diamond necklace.

Cardinal de Rohan: Cardinal Louis de Rohan, a member of one of France’s most prestigious families, was the Grand Almoner of France and had fallen out of favor with Marie Antoinette. He longed to regain her favor and restore his standing at court, which made him an easy target for manipulation.

Nicolas de la Motte: Jeanne’s husband, Nicolas, was an accomplice in her scheme. He helped her execute the fraudulent plan by using forged documents and playing key roles in the deception.

Rétaux de Villette: Jeanne’s associate, who helped forge letters supposedly written by Marie Antoinette.

Marie Antoinette: Although she was entirely innocent in the matter, Marie Antoinette became the central figure in the public perception of the scandal.

Countess d’Oliva: A prostitute who bore a physical resemblance to Marie Antoinette, d’Oliva was recruited by Jeanne to impersonate the queen during one of the key phases of the scheme.

The Scheme
Jeanne de la Motte devised an elaborate plan to convince Cardinal de Rohan that Marie Antoinette wanted to secretly purchase the diamond necklace. Jeanne had learned of Rohan’s desire to be in the queen’s good graces and exploited it. She convinced Rohan that she was a confidante of the queen and could help him regain favor.

Forged Letters and Secret Correspondence:
Jeanne arranged for Rétaux de Villette to forge letters purportedly from Marie Antoinette to Rohan, in which the queen expressed interest in the necklace but claimed she could not openly purchase it due to the kingdom’s financial troubles. Rohan believed these letters were genuine and began corresponding with the supposed queen.

To further convince Rohan, Jeanne staged a secret meeting in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, where Countess d’Oliva, disguised as Marie Antoinette, briefly met with Rohan. The cardinal, already eager to believe he was winning the queen’s favor, was fooled by the brief encounter and believed the woman he met was the queen.

Purchase of the Necklace:
Convinced that Marie Antoinette wanted the necklace but needed to keep the purchase secret, Rohan agreed to act as her agent and buy the necklace on her behalf. In 1785, he arranged for Boehmer and Bassenge to sell the necklace, promising that Marie Antoinette would pay for it in installments.

Rohan took possession of the necklace and delivered it to Jeanne, believing she would pass it on to the queen. Instead, Jeanne and her husband, Nicolas, sold the necklace, broke it up, and fled with the diamonds.

The Discovery of the Fraud
When Boehmer and Bassenge demanded payment for the necklace, Marie Antoinette was confused and denied any involvement in the purchase. This prompted an investigation, which revealed the entire scheme. Cardinal Rohan was arrested on August 15, 1785, in full view of the court at Versailles, a humiliating moment for such a high-ranking cleric.

Trial and Public Scandal
The trial of the key figures involved in the affair was held in 1786. It became a sensational public event, with widespread interest due to the high-profile individuals and the involvement of the queen, who, despite her innocence, became the subject of widespread public scrutiny.

Outcomes of the Trial:
Cardinal Rohan was acquitted, which shocked and angered Marie Antoinette. Many saw the cardinal as a victim who had been duped, while others, especially among the French public, viewed him as the wronged party in a scheme orchestrated by a capricious and arrogant monarchy.

Jeanne de la Motte was found guilty of fraud. She was publicly whipped, branded with a V (for “voleuse,” meaning thief), and imprisoned in the Salpêtrière prison. However, she later escaped and fled to London, where she wrote memoirs blaming the queen for the scandal.

Rétaux de Villette and Nicolas de la Motte were also punished, though less harshly than Jeanne. Countess d’Oliva, having unknowingly played a role in the scheme, was acquitted.

Impact on Marie Antoinette
Although Marie Antoinette had no involvement in the affair, the scandal severely damaged her reputation. Already viewed with suspicion by much of the French public due to her Austrian background and perceived extravagance, the Affair of the Diamond Necklace reinforced the idea that the queen was out of touch with the suffering of the French people.

Propaganda: The affair was used by pamphleteers and propagandists to further attack the monarchy. Marie Antoinette was increasingly portrayed as greedy, immoral, and irresponsible, earning her the derogatory nickname “Madame Déficit.”

Decline in Public Perception: The affair contributed to the growing wave of anti-monarchical sentiment in France. The public outrage surrounding the scandal, combined with France’s financial troubles, played a role in the eventual downfall of the monarchy during the French Revolution (1789–1799).

Legacy
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace is often seen as one of the key events that undermined the monarchy in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It highlighted the deep disconnect between the monarchy and the public, and even though Marie Antoinette was innocent of any wrongdoing, the affair fueled widespread resentment against her and the court at Versailles.

By the time of the Revolution, the image of Marie Antoinette as a symbol of excess and corruption had been firmly established, making her a scapegoat for the broader problems facing France. In the eyes of many, the scandal epitomized the failings of the monarchy, further weakening its legitimacy and contributing to its eventual collapse.

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