Marie Antoinette And The Diamond Necklace
Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was known for her extravagant lifestyle and love for fashion. However, she is also remembered for her involvement in the scandalous affair of the diamond necklace.
Background
The diamond necklace affair happened in the 1780s, during the reign of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. It involved a jeweler named Charles Boehmer and his wife, who claimed to have been commissioned by the queen to make a diamond necklace worth 1.6 million livres.
However, the necklace was never paid for and the queen denied any involvement in the matter. The affair caused a scandal and added to the already negative perception of the queen among the French people.
The Plot
The plot of the affair was hatched by a woman named Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy, who was a con artist and a descendant of Henry II of France. She convinced Boehmer that the queen was interested in buying the necklace and even forged letters from the queen to convince him further.
However, the queen had no knowledge of the plot and the letters were later found to be fake. Jeanne and her accomplices were eventually caught and sentenced to prison or death.
The Aftermath
The diamond necklace affair added to the already negative perception of the queen among the French people. It was seen as evidence of her extravagance and lack of concern for the financial troubles of the country.
The affair also contributed to the downfall of the monarchy and the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette was eventually accused of treason and executed by the guillotine in 1793.
Conclusion
The diamond necklace affair was a scandalous episode in the life of Marie Antoinette. Although she was not directly involved in the plot, it added to her negative reputation among the French people and contributed to the downfall of the monarchy.
Today, Marie Antoinette is remembered as a symbol of the excesses of the French monarchy and a victim of the turmoil of the French Revolution.