Comtesse de la Motte
From Freepedia
Jeanne de Valois, Comtesse de la Motte or Lamotte (1756 - 1792 was born in France 1756 to a peasant family. However, she had royal Valois blood as her father was descended illegitimately from King Henri II.
Both of her parents died when she was a girl and she grew up in poverty.
In 1780, she married Nicholas de Lamotte and both husband and wife assumed the title Comte and Comtesse de Lamotte Valois. The Comtesse aimed to receive a pension from the Royal Family due to her royal blood. She set her sights on Queen Marie Antoinette as she felt the Queen, being a woman, would be more sympathetic to her plight.
The marriage between Jeanne and her husband was unsuccessful although they continued to live together. Jeanne took a lover, Rétaux de Villette, a common gigolo. Around 1783, the Comtesse became the mistress of the Cardinal of France, Prince Louis de Rohan. She became aware that the Prince wanted nothing more than the favour of Marie Antoinette (the Queen hated the Cardinal as he had spread rumours about her when she was the dauphine).
At the same time as this, the Royal jeweller, Charles Auguste Boehmer was trying to sell the Queen a particularly showy diamond necklace that had been originally designed for Madame du Barry. The Queen refused the necklace saying she had diamonds enough.
The Comtesse, with the active help of her husband and de Villette, planned to use this opportunity to gain finances. Rètaux de Villette was a master forger and wrote letters from 'the queen' to the Comtesse saying she wanted the necklace. The Cardinal read these letters and agreed to buy the necklace for the Queen. A late night rendez-vous was arranged where the Cardinal met the 'queen' (really a prostitute called Nicole d'Oliva) and received forgiveness.
The necklace was given to the Comtesse to pass on to the Queen. The Comte de Lamotte promptly began selling the diamonds in Paris and London. The affair only came to light when the Cardinal was arrested. The Comtesse de Lamotte, Rètaux de Villette, Nicole d'Oliva and Count Cagliostro (a self-proclaimed holy man who had helped the Comtesse persuade the Cardinal to purchase the necklace) were all arrested. The Comte de Lamotte stayed in London.
Marie Antoinette demanded that the public try the Cardinal so her innocence in the affair would be proved. The Queen's popularity with the French public was waning. The Cardinal was found not guilty and acquitted. King Louis XVI promptly had him exiled. Rètaux de Villette was found guilty of forgery and exiled. Nicole d'Oliva was acquitted. Count Cagliostro was exiled. The Comtesse was found guilty and sentenced to be whipped, branded and imprisoned. The public sympathised with the Comtesse. She was imprisoned in the Salpêtrière prison for life.
The trial destroyed the reputation of the French Queen as the public saw her as the guilty party. The Comtesse soon escaped from her prison and made her way to London where she published her memoirs, recalling false sexual encounters with the Queen. The affair of the diamond necklace was one of many scandals that led to the French Revolution and destroyed the monarchy of France.
The Cardinal survived the revolution and lived out his life in exile. Rètaux de Villette also lived and died in exile in Italy. Nicole d'Oliva faded into obscurity and dies at 28. Count Cagliostro was imprisoned during the Italian Inquisition and died in prison. Nicholas de Lamotte returned to Paris after the Revolution. The Comtesse died in London after falling from her hotel room window. Some people believed she was killed by royalists but she was probably trying to hide from debt collectors when she fell. She died before the Revolution took place. Marie Antoinette went to the guillotine in 1793.
Films
The story was turned in to a movie in 2001. The Affair of the Necklace starred Hilary Swank as the Comtesse de Lamotte with Christopher Hyde, Adrien Brody, Simon Baker and Joely Richardson as Marie Antoinette. The film is completely inaccurate. The Comtesse is made out to be the victim while Marie Antoinette is seen as indifferent and cruel. It is a good costume drama with fine acting though. Entertaining.
