answersLogoWhite

0

Comtesse de Lamotte-Valois was a common woman, though she was a descendant of the Valois family, a family that had once been the Royal family of France, but were replaced by the Bourbons (the family that was now on the throne and Marie Antoinette was a direct descendant from this family (her great-grandfather being Louis XIV). She always held a grudge against the Bourbons because she felt that her family should have stayed Royal instead of the Bourbons. Also, she was very poor and wanted the Royal family to support her because of her Royal blood.

She and her lover (she had a husband but also several lovers) Retaux de Villette (a master forger) made a plan. They had heard of the jewellers Boehmer and Bassenge who made a gorgeous necklace especially for Madame du Barry, but she had left Versailles due to the death of Louis XV before they had the chance to present it to her. Now they wanted Marie Antoinette to buy it, but she had refused the necklace for 3 times already because she thought it was ugly and she said "I already have enough diamonds".

The jewellers therefore where desperate to sell the necklace worth 1.6 million Francs. Rétaux de Villette was a master forger and wrote letters from 'the Queen' to the "comtesse". She stated that she wanted the necklace, but was aware of the reluctance of the King to buy it due to the current dismal financial situation of the country. She hoped that the Cardinal Prince Louis de Rohan (a man the Queen hated)could lend her the money, and she would grant him the stipend he wished for. Jeanne de la Motte was named as the Queen's agent. The Cardinal, so happy that the Queen finally seemed to trust him enough to do this for her, believed these letters to be authentic (although the autograph was very foolish and could never have been the Queen's) and agreed to buy the necklace for the Queen. A late night rendezvous was arranged, where the Cardinal met 'the Queen' (in reality a prostitute who resembled her, called Nicole le Guay d'Oliva) and received forgiveness. The jeweler was contacted and asked to bring the necklace. The necklace was given to Jeanne de la Motte to pass on to the Queen. This of course never happened, her husband promptly began selling the diamonds in Paris and London.

Because the Queen kept ignoring the Cardinal, and the jewellers came to the Queen for money, the whole scheme was over. The Cardinal and the comtesse were arrested, though, because the Queen's reputation was already down the drain and people actually believed that she spent loads of money, they thought this story was probably true also, and even though there was more than enough evidence against the cardinal, he was acquitted. The comtesse was branded with the letter V on one of her breasts (V for Voleuse, which means 'thief'). The branding was intended to be placed on her shoulder, but she fought her torturer so heavily, the hot iron landed on one of her breasts. She escaped out of prison dressed as a boy (she probably got help from Revolutionist prison guards) and fled to England where she spend the rest of her life spreading pamphlets against the Queen. The queen was blamed for everything eventhough she had nothing to do with it all.

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Who are the characters in the story the diamond necklace?

suma


When was Diamond Necklace - film - created?

Diamond Necklace - film - was created in 2012.


What is the best necklace in fate?

Diamond necklace


What role does the diamond necklace play in the story by guy de maupassant?

role of the diamond necklace in the story


What is the french word for necklace?

diamond necklace? a diamond necklaceis called 'un collier de diamants' in French - ("une rivière de ...


In “The Diamond Necklace”, Mathilde’s husband attempts to make her happy by?

In “The Diamond Necklace”, Mathilde’s husband attempts to make her happy by:


What is the theme of the diamond necklace?

A theme of "The Diamond Necklace" is that looks can be deceiving. This is witnessed throughout Mathildeâ??s situation where she appears wealthy.


Where did Celine Dion get her butterfly diamond necklace?

Where did Celine Dion get her butterfly diamond necklace? From ShipwreckedTreasures.ca they don't have it on their website but if you ask they will make it.


What is theme of the diamond necklace?

A theme of "The Diamond Necklace" is that looks can be deceiving. This is witnessed throughout Mathildeâ??s situation where she appears wealthy.


What are the ratings and certificates for Diamond Necklace - 2012?

Diamond Necklace - 2012 is rated/received certificates of: Ireland:12A Singapore:PG UK:12A


When fishing on millsberry how much is a diamond necklace worth?

I am not sure. But you can look in the millsberry classifield and see what other people are selling theirs for! And i would love a diamond necklace so what is your username... or anyone else who has a diamond necklace. I have to check out your yard salee!


Who are the character in story the diamond necklace?

suma

Trending Questions
Is this a plot or theme - A man learns that his love for a dolphin is more important to him than his career? When you evaluate the plot of a book what question should you ask yourself about the conclusion? What was the conflict in old story time by trevor rhone? Has the nature of man has not changed since the Fall of man.? Can you find me a foreshadowing from the novel the outsider? What are 3 metaphors in the book The Cay by Theodore Taylor? What impression do you get about the narration based on the information the narrator gives in The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida p 108 A young B worldly C pleased D spoiled? What is the famous short story where a man and his daughter are at a fly by night carnival and she disappears while riding the ferris wheel? What questions would you ask Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird if you were doing an interview on him? Give an example of noting details? What is 'cave and shadows the whole story and characters? Where can you find the book Verbicide by David W Orr? Why does Atticus sit by the jailhouse in To Kill a Mockingbird? How does the choice of the genre affect the story? Is Through The Tunnel's Jerry a static or dynamic character? Why do writers use anecdotes? Why does Poe not tell us the nature of the insult or describe any of the thousand injuries that the narrator suffered in the story The Cask of Amontillado? What does the tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow soliloquy reveal about Macbeth? Was literature inspired by the love story of cleopatra and mark Anthony? What is the name of the town the two are running away from of mice and men?