How to Ruin a Queen: Marie Antoinette and the Diamond Necklace Affair (62 page)

La Motte-Valois, Jeanne de Saint-Rémy, comtesse de: friendship with Cardinal Rohan,
2
; role in necklace scandal,
3
; background and lineage,
7
,
11
; begging as child,
10–12
; migrates to Paris as child,
10
; abandoned by mother,
13
; education,
13
; taken in by Boulainvilliers,
13–14
,
16
; apprenticed to mantua maker,
14
; poor health as adolescent,
15
,
17
; romantic expectations as orphan,
15–16
; claim to Valois title,
17
; granted pension by Louis XVI,
17
; in the Abbaye Royale at Longchamp,
18
;
attractiveness to men,
19
; meets and marries Nicolas,
20–1
; birth and death of twins,
21
; profligacy and affairs,
21–2
,
43
; campaign to reclaim lost lands,
22–3
; in Strasbourg,
38
; and death of marquise de Boulainvilliers,
39–40
; in Versailles,
41
,
43–4
,
47–8
; appeals to Rohan,
43–6
; supposed liaison with Rohan,
46
; financial straits and debts,
47–50
,
67
; meets Madame Elisabeth,
49
; pension increased,
49
; failed attempt to ambush Marie Antoinette,
62
; sells pension,
62
; claims close friendship with Marie Antoinette,
63–9
,
71
,
98
,
276–7
; infidelities,
64
,
100
; flaunts wealth,
67
,
98–9
; forges Marie Antoinette correspondence with Rohan,
68
,
71
,
73–4
,
82
,
127
; plots deception of Rohan in Versailles false rendezvous,
84–90
,
92–3
; ceases to see d’Oliva,
96
; in society,
100
; approached to purchase necklace,
103–5
; declines Boehmers’ wish to reward,
109–10
; meets Cagliostro,
120
; and sale of diamonds,
124
,
126
; profligacy with money,
126
,
149–50
; leads Rohan on,
127
; insists on genuineness of case to Rohan,
135
; leaves Paris for Bar,
136
,
142
,
149
; confuses Bassenge,
137
; denies forging sale agreement signature,
137
; police interest in,
140
; pleads with Rohan for protection,
141
; arrest ordered,
147
; learns of Rohan’s arrest,
150
; arrested,
152–3
; burns papers,
152
,
173
; refuses to flee abroad,
152
; detained in Bastille and interrogated,
158–60
,
180–2
; denies collusion with Rohan,
162
; Rohan accuses of tricking,
167–8
; appoints defence lawyer,
169
; Georgel collects evidence against,
171
; gives account to investigators,
176
,
178
;
decret de prise de corps
against,
180
; defiance in interrogation by Titon,
191–2
,
195–9
; and Rohan’s testimony,
194
; behaviour at interrogations,
205–6
,
215
; in Villette’s testimony,
210–11
; confrontation with Cagliostro,
212–13
; confrontations with Rohan,
213–16
,
221–4
; confrontation with Villette,
216–17
,
223–4
; admits disguising d’Oliva for deception,
217
,
221
; accused of lying in testimony,
223–4
; admits d’Oliva unaware of deception,
224
; mental decline,
226
; interrogated by whole court,
227–8
; in
mémoires
,
233
,
236
; verdict and punishments,
241–3
,
245
,
248–50
; collapse at punishment,
248–50
; popular sympathy for,
268–9
; removed to Salpêtrière,
268–9
; escapes,
270–3
; reunited with Nicolas in England,
271
,
273
; self-harms,
273
; affair with Calonne,
274
; admits to forgery of queen’s signature,
277–8
; correspondence with sister Marianne,
281–2
; possible secret visit to Paris
(1790),
281n
; revolutionaries’ attitude to,
283–4
; pseudepigraphical works,
284
; injured in flight from London bailiffs,
285–6
; plans autobiography,
286
; death and burial in London,
287–8
; satirised in print of Marie Antoinette’s escape,
290
; posthumous appearances,
303
; historians’ views of,
306
;
Life of Jane de St Remy de Valois
,
287–8
;
Mémoires Justificatifs
,
185
,
251
,
254n
,
276–80
,
282
,
285

La Place, Pierre-Antoine de:
Le Theatre Anglois
,
93–4

Laporte, Jean-Baptiste,
103
,
109
,
176

Laporte (royal functionary),
287–8

La Roche-Aymon, Cardinal de,
29

La Tour, Antoine Joseph Serres,
274

La Tour, Marie de,
121–2
,
160

La Tour, comte de,
182

Launay, Bernard René, marquis de,
155
,
159
,
205
,
260

Laurencel, Pierre,
176
,
178–9

La Vauguyon, Antoine, duc de,
54
,
58

La Vauguyon, duchesse de,
182

le Clerc, Madame (schoolteacher),
14

Le Maure, Nicole,
18

Lenoir, Jean,
133n

Léon the Jew,
118

Leonard (Marie Antoinette’s hairdresser),
98

lèse-majesté
,
168
,
179
,
194
,
226–7
,
234
,
238
,
240
,
244
,
260

Le Tourneur, Pierre,
94

Letter-writing,
72–3

lettres de cachet
,
155
,
163

Lever de l’aurore, Le
(pamphlet),
91

Leveson-Gower family,
309

Lévis, duc de,
42
,
231

Linguet, Simon:
Memoirs of the Bastille
,
156–7

Loménie de Brienne, Cardinal Charles de, archbishop of Toulouse,
56
,
289

London: French community,
273

Longchamp: Abbaye Royale,
18

Longchamp, Dubu de,
285–6

Longueil, Charles Henri de:

L’Orphelin Anglais
,
15–16

Lorraine,
231

Loth, père Nicolas,
172–3
,
196
,
205
,
207–8
,
216

Louis XIV, King of France,
41–9
,
86
,
165

Louis XV, King of France: foreign policy,
33
; death,
34
,
36
; character,
42
; Morande traduces,
261
; as subject of libel,
272

Louis XVI, King of France,
17
,
22
; accession,
35
; background and character,
42
,
52–4
; as Dauphin,
52
; marriage relations,
54–5
,
58
; reign,
54
; learns to plough,
60
; proposes purchasing necklace,
101
; first informed of necklace affair,
145
; questions Rohan and orders arrest,
145–7
,
154–5
; and inquiry into Rohan’s conduct,
154–5
; Marie Antoinette thanks for support,
160–1
; discusses Rohan’s fate with Council,
161
; letter from Rohan on electing for trial,
164
; issues letters patent against Rohan,
167
; briefed daily on progress of Rohan investigation,
177
; reaction to court verdict,
246
; issues
lettre de cachet
against Rohan,
247
,
259
;
growing unpopularity,
248
; wearies of the affair,
257–8
; appoints special committee to investigate necklace case,
260
; summons Estates-General to solve financial crisis,
265
; conflict with National Assembly,
266
; rarely appears in
libelles
,
279
; and Jeanne’s
Mémoires Justificatifs
,
281
; buys up Jeanne’s autobiography,
287
; detained in Revolution,
289
; forced to accept new constitution,
291
; sentenced and guillotined,
291

Louis XVIII, King of France
see
Provence, Louis Xavier, comte de

Louis Auguste, Dauphin
see
Louis XVI, King of France

Louis Joseph Xavier François, Dauphin: birth,
55
; death,
289

Loutherbourg, Philippe-Jacques de,
263

Lunéville,
39

Lunéville, Treaty of (1801),
299

Macdermott, Barthélemy,
125–6
,
174
,
186

Mackenzie, Mr (London upholsterer),
285

Malesherbes, Chrétien de,
192

Maria Lesczynska, Queen of Louis XV,
32

Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria: Cardinal de Rohan offends,
2
; reign,
30
; Rohan meets,
30–2
; character,
31
; Rohan reports on crying,
33
; on Polish independence,
34
; warms to Rohan,
35
; relations with daughter Marie Antoinette,
51
; favours Breteuil,
131

Marianne (Jeanne’s maidservant),
270–1

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France: scorn for Cardinal Rohan,
2–3
,
28
,
34–6
,
65
,
148
; is thought to want to buy necklace,
2–3
; public opinion turns against,
6
; marriage and entry into France,
28
,
52
; receives Rohan as queen,
35
; life at Versailles,
41
,
56–7
; Jeanne plans to meet,
50
,
62
; background,
51
; marriage relations,
54–5
,
58
; children,
55
; political/diplomatic role,
55–6
,
288–9
; manner,
56
; fashion and style,
58
; gambling,
58
; secrecy,
58
; at Petit Trianon,
59
; friendship with Fersen,
59
; Jeanne claims close friendship with,
63–9
; spontaneous generosity,
66
; and forged correspondence with Rohan,
68
,
71
,
73–4
,
77–80
,
82
,
127
; and Mme Cahouet de Villers,
69–70
; and false rendezvous with Rohan in Versailles garden,
86–90
; informal dress,
90
; night walks in Versailles garden,
90–1
; declines to purchase necklace,
102–3
,
106
; not seen wearing necklace,
108–9
; invoked by Cagliostro,
121–2
; Rohan dictates letter to on purchase of necklace,
128–9
; favours Breteuil,
131
; Rohan sees genuine handwriting,
134
; suspects purchase of necklace in own name,
139
; refuses to see Bassenge,
143
; acts in
The Barber
of Seville
,
144
; sees Boehmer,
144
; at questioning and arrest of Rohan,
146–8
; thanks Louis XVI for support,
160–1
; on proceedings against Rohan,
161–2
; and Rohan’s decision to face trial,
164–5
; interest in progress of Jeanne–Rohan investigation,
177–8
; suffers from gossip,
231–2
; in Doillot’s
mémoire
,
234
; in
mémoires
,
239–40
; informed of trial verdict,
246
; as target of anti-royalist feelings,
248
; and repatriation of Nicolas,
253
,
257
; suspected of participation in necklace affair,
268
; in Jeanne’s
Mémoire Justificatifs
,
276–80
; rarely appears in
libelles
,
279
; Jeanne’s increased animosity to,
285
; detained and maligned in Revolution,
289–90
; physical decline,
289
,
291
; escape plan fails,
290
; transferred to Conciergerie, tried and executed,
291–3
,
298
; in Dumas novel,
303–4
; historians’ view of role in necklace affair,
306
; effect of necklace affair on reputation,
307–8

Marie Thérèse Charlotte (Marie Antoinette’s daughter;
later
Duchesse d’Angoulème): birth,
55
,
58
; present when Marie Antoinette declines to purchase necklace,
102