comtesse de La Motte
Quick Summary
The comtesse de La Motte was a French adventuress central to the 1785 Affair of the Diamond Necklace. This scandal significantly damaged the reputation of the French monarchy just before the French Revolution.
La Motte orchestrated a scheme to acquire an extremely valuable diamond necklace, falsely claiming it was for Queen Marie-Antoinette. She manipulated Cardinal de Rohan, who was eager to regain the queen's favor, into negotiating the purchase with jewelers. The plot unraveled when the cardinal failed to make payments, exposing the deception.
Although Marie-Antoinette was innocent, the scandal fueled public distrust. The cardinal was acquitted but exiled, while La Motte was imprisoned and later escaped, publishing scandalous memoirs. The affair contributed to the downfall of the ancien régime.12
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