- Also called:
- Affair of the Necklace
- Date:
- 1785
Affair of the Diamond Necklace
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What was the Affair of the Diamond Necklace?
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace was a scandal at the court of Louis XVI in 1785 that discredited the French monarchy before the French Revolution.
The scandal began when the Comtesse de La Motte schemed to acquire a diamond necklace worth 1,600,000 livres, supposedly for Queen Marie-Antoinette, but really for herself and her associates. The Comtesse implicated Cardinal de Rohan, who was out of favor with the Queen, by suggesting the Queen wanted to buy the necklace secretly and would reconcile with him if he facilitated the purchase.
After forged letters and a brief meeting with a prostitute disguised as the queen, the Cardinal pledged his credit to pay for the necklace in installments. The deception was exposed when the Cardinal failed to pay, and the jewelers contacted the Queen. The Cardinal was arrested, tried, and acquitted of fraud but lost his offices. Comtesse de La Motte was sentenced to flogging, branding, and imprisonment. Although Marie-Antoinette was innocent, the scandal damaged her reputation and contributed to the French Revolution.
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Who were the main people involved in the Affair of the Diamond Necklace?
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace involved several key figures. The Countess de la Motte schemed to acquire a diamond necklace worth 1,600,000 livres, supposedly for Queen Marie-Antoinette, but actually for herself and her associates.
Cardinal de Rohan, anxious to regain favor in the French court, was deceived by the Countess into facilitating the purchase. Other people involved were the Parisian jewelers Boehmer and Bassenge, who owned the necklace. Alessandro, Count di Cagliostro, a charlatan and magician, was also implicated due to his friendship with the Cardinal de Rohan.
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How did the diamond necklace become part of the scandal?
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace began when the Comtesse de La Motte schemed to acquire a diamond necklace worth 1,600,000 livres, supposedly for Queen Marie-Antoinette. She involved Cardinal de Rohan, who wanted to regain favor at court. La Motte tricked the Cardinal into believing the Queen wanted the necklace and would reconcile with him if he facilitated its purchase. After forged letters and a staged meeting with a prostitute disguised as the Queen, the Cardinal pledged his credit with the jewelers to buy the necklace.
The scandal emerged when the Cardinal failed to make the first payment, and the jewelers approached the Queen directly. The necklace, meant to be in the Queenâs possession, was discovered to have been broken apart and sold in London.
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Why was Queen Marie Antoinette falsely accused in this affair?
Marie Antoinette was falsely accused in the Affair of the Diamond Necklace because rivals, including the king's brothers, circulated slanderous reports of her alleged affairs due to her and Louis XVI's childlessness in the 1770s. This culminated in the Affair of the Diamond Necklace in 1785, where she was unjustly accused of an immoral relationship with a cardinal. Although Marie Antoinette was innocent, the scandal damaged her reputation and fueled the belief in her moral laxness and frivolity. The scandal discredited the monarchy and encouraged nobles to oppose financial reforms, contributing to the French Revolution.
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What impact did the scandal have on the public's opinion of the French royal family?
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace scandal significantly damaged the public's perception of the French royal family, particularly Queen Marie-Antoinette. Although she was innocent, the scandal reinforced existing beliefs about her moral laxity and frivolity. The scandal discredited the monarchy, contributing to the French Revolution. The arbitrary arrest of Cardinal de Rohan and the pressure exerted on his judges deepened the impression of King Louis XVI's weakness and the autocratic nature of his government.
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How did the Affair of the Diamond Necklace contribute to the causes of the French Revolution?
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace was a scandal at the court of Louis XVI in 1785 that discredited the French monarchy and contributed to the French Revolution.
The scandal involved an adventuress, the comtesse de La Motte, who schemed to acquire a diamond necklace worth 1,600,000 livres, supposedly for Queen Marie-Antoinette, but in reality for herself and her associates. Her scheme involved Cardinal de Rohan, who was tricked into facilitating the purchase of the necklace by negotiating with the jewelers.
Although Marie-Antoinette was innocent, the scandal reinforced the public's perception of her moral laxness and frivolity. The king's arbitrary arrest of the cardinal and the pressure put on his judges deepened the impression of the king's weakness and the autocratic nature of his government. The incident was one of many factors leading to the dissolution of the ancien régime and thus to the French Revolution.
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Affair of the Diamond Necklace, scandal at the court of Louis XVI in 1785 that discredited the French monarchy on the eve of the French Revolution. It began as an intrigue on the part of an adventuress, the comtesse (countess) de La Motte, to procure, supposedly for Queen Marie-Antoinette but in reality for herself and her associates, a diamond necklace worth 1,600,000 livres. The necklace was the property of the Parisian firm of jewelers Boehmer and Bassenge, who had tried unsuccessfully to sell it, first to Louis XV as a present for his mistress Madame du Barry and later to Louis XVI for the queen.
The countessâs scheme involved the prestigious Cardinal de Rohan, bishop of Strasbourg, who as French ambassador to Vienna from 1772 to 1774 had aroused the dislike of the queenâs mother, the empress Maria Theresa, and who had subsequently incurred the hostility of Marie-Antoinette herself; he was anxious to be restored to favour at the French court.
The comtesse de La Motte suggested to the cardinal that the queen wished to acquire the necklace surreptitiously and would be prepared for a formal reconciliation at court if he would facilitate its purchase by negotiating with the jewelers. After reading forged letters supposedly from the queen and after a brief nocturnal interview in the gardens of Versailles with a prostitute disguised as the queen, the cardinal entered into a contract with the jewelers to pledge his credit to pay for the necklace in installments. The imposture came to light, however, when the cardinal failed to raise the first installment in full and the jewelers applied directly to the queen. With the imposture exposed, it was discovered that the necklace that the cardinal had supposed to be in the queenâs possession had been broken up and sold in London.
Instead of concealing the intrigue, Louis XVI had the cardinal arrested and imprisoned in the Bastille. The cardinal was tried, along with his alleged accomplices, before the Parlement of Paris. Though he was eventually acquitted of the charge of having fraudulently acquired the necklace (May 31, 1786), he was deprived of all his offices and exiled to the abbey of La Chaise-Dieu in Auvergne. The comtesse de La Motte was sentenced to be flogged, branded, and imprisoned for life in the SalpĂȘtriĂšre prison in Paris. She later escaped to England and there published scandalous MĂ©moires vilifying the queen.
Though Marie-Antoinette was guiltless, the scandal confirmed the belief of contemporaries in her moral laxness and frivolity. The arbitrary arrest of the cardinal, the pressure put on his judges, and his final disgrace deepened the impression of the kingâs weakness and the autocratic nature of his government. The incident was one of many factors leading to the dissolution of the ancien rĂ©gime and thus to the French Revolution.
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace has been retold in literature and film.