Cold Open

It’s August 15th, 1785, at the Palace of Versailles in France.

50-year-old Cardinal Louis-René-Édouard de Rohan hurries along a grand hallway in the royal palace, smoothing down his robes as he goes.

As a cardinal in the Catholic Church, Rohan is a prominent figure in the court. A few minutes ago, he was preparing to celebrate Mass for King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette. Rohan was especially looking forward to being in the company of the queen, a woman he’s sure harbors romantic feelings for him. But as he was donning his vestments, Rohan received a summon from the king—and he has no idea why he’s been called.

A doorman steps aside as Rohan enters the Hall of Mirrors. As usual, the grandest room in the palace is packed with courtiers hoping to gain the attention of the king—but Louis is deep in conversation with his chief minister.

Rohan pushes his way through the crowd toward the throne and bows deeply before the king. He remains locked in position, eyes on the floor, waiting for the king to grant him permission to rise. But the king doesn’t respond.

The courtiers closest to the throne sense a change in the atmosphere. Their conversations fade, and soon, every set of eyes in the room is locked on the standoff between the king and his bowing cardinal.

As Rohan's knees begin to tremble, he risks a glance up at the throne. He sees King Louis glaring at him, clearly angry. Eventually, the king gestures and Rohan rises unsteadily.

But the king still doesn’t speak to him. Instead, he just leans to the side and whispers to his chief minister. Then, in a loud voice that carries across the Hall of Mirrors, the chief minister tells a guard to arrest the cardinal.

As the guard grabs him, Rohan's legs crumple beneath him. So, the guard roughly drags him past the shocked courtiers and out of the Hall of Mirrors. They’re heading to a part of the palace the cardinal has never been to before: the prison cells.

The detention of the most senior clergyman in France is the moment that a criminal conspiracy becomes public knowledge. Over the next several weeks, the French people will learn the details of a spectacular fraud that will become known as the Diamond Necklace Affair. It will ruin the reputation of Cardinal Louis-René-Édouard de Rohan and discredit Queen Marie Antoinette as well. But they were both unwitting victims of a mysterious third party whose audacious scam will only be discovered after the dramatic arrest of Cardinal de Rohan on August 15th, 1785.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is August 15th, 1785: The Diamond Necklace Affair.

Act One

It’s June 1780 at the Palace of Versailles, five years before Cardinal de Rohan's shocking arrest.

In the palace gardens, 23-year-old Jeanne de la Motte loiters in the shade of a tree. The sun is beating down, and Jeanne is dressed in a heavy silk gown that’s currently in fashion at the French court. But it’s not just the uncomfortable heat that’s made Jeanne seek out this tree. She has deliberately positioned herself here because she knows that Queen Marie Antoinette will pass this exact spot when she takes her daily walk.

Jeanne is determined to catch the eye of the queen. Although she’s distantly related to royalty, Jeanne was born into an impoverished family and was forced to beg on the streets as a child. She escaped that life after the king granted her a stipend, but Jeanne aspires to greater things. She began attending court at Versailles every day in the hope of befriending the queen and finding a quick route to wealth—but so far, she’s had no luck.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Jeanne hurries out from under her tree. Her pulse quickens with excitement as Marie Antoinette rounds the corner—but when the queen spots Jeanne on the path, she hurries away in another direction. It’s not the first time this has happened, but Jeanne's heart sinks as she realizes that Marie Antoinette is deliberately avoiding her.

So, Jeanne changes her tactics. If she can’t befriend the Queen, then she’ll have to find another way to get rich. She settles on a new target: Cardinal Louis-René-Édouard de Rohan. Cardinal de Rohan is effectively the most important member of the Catholic Church at the royal court. Yet Rohan is disillusioned with his lot in life.

Eight years ago, he was appointed as the French ambassador in Vienna. And since Austrian princess Marie Antoinette was married to the heir to the French throne, it should have been a prestigious position. But Rohan clashed with the Austrian Empress, Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa thought that men of the church should have simple lifestyles, but Rohan was anything but frugal. He spent lavishly, drank fine wines, and enjoyed the company of women. The cardinal also angered the empress when he spread rumors in the French court that Marie Antoinette was having an affair. When King Louis XV of France died in 1774, Rohan was recalled and received a cool reception from the new King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette. Ever since then, Rohan has struggled to win back royal approval—and Jeanne now thinks she can take advantage of his desperation.

Over the next several weeks, Jeanne seduces Rohan, and the two begin a full-blown affair. During their intimate moments together, Jeanne tells the cardinal an elaborate tale of her friendship with the queen. She makes up stories about Marie Antoinette inviting Jeanne to her private apartments and giving her money.

Soon, Jeanne has convinced Rohan that she’s discussed his case with the queen, and Marie Antoinette is prepared to forgive him. Jeanne offers to carry the cardinal’s letters to the queen, and she returns with Marie Antoinette’s replies—although these of course are fake. In these forged letters, Jeanne even hints that the queen has romantic feelings for Rohan.

And then, during a mid-August night in 1784, Jeanne's plot goes even further. She arranges for Rohan to meet secretly with the queen in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles —but just like the love letters, it’s a set-up. Jeanne engages the services of a Parisian prostitute, dresses her up in fine gowns, and tells the baffled woman to pretend to be the queen. When the time comes for the elicit meeting, Rohan kneels at the feet of the woman he believes to be Marie Antoinette. The pretend queen gives Rohan a rose while she coyly hides her face behind a fan. Jeanne herself joins the act, pulling the fake Marie Antoinette away and claiming there are too many people around for the liaison to continue, and Rohan is left completely deceived by Jeanne's scam.

Over the next few months, he’ll give her money, thinking he’s donating it to the queen’s charitable endeavors—but the cash will actually fund Jeanne's own lavish lifestyle. And with Rohan hooked by Jeanne's lies, she’ll soon set in motion an even more audacious fraud - one which will cause a scandal in the Royal Court and bring the career of Cardinal de Rohan to a disastrous end.

Act Two

It’s August 1784 in Paris, a few days after Cardinal de Rohan's nighttime meeting with a prostitute pretending to be Marie Antoinette.

Jeweler Charles Auguste Boehmer hurries across his showroom, opens the door, and gestures for his guest to enter. As Jeanne de la Motte walks in, she can’t take her eyes off the expensive jewels on display. Charles has been told by an acquaintance, Cardinal Louis-René-Édouard de Rohan, that Jeanne is a favored courtier of the queen. So, he’s invited Jeanne here today because he needs her help to select a particular item of jewelry: a diamond-encrusted necklace.

Twelve years ago, Charles made the necklace on commission for the old king, Louis XV. He wanted to present it to his favorite mistress, but he died before the necklace was completed. That left Charles with an expensive and as-yet unpaid-for necklace. The new Queen Marie Antoinette turned down the chance to buy it. So, Charles offered it around the other royal courts of Europe. But its asking price was too high, and he never found a buyer. Now, Charles has invited Jeanne to view the necklace in person, hoping that she’ll be so impressed that she can convince Marie Antoinette to reconsider.

Charles reaches into a box and pulls out a velvet cushion. On it lies the diamond necklace—and it’s far bigger than Jeanne could ever have imagined. Dozens of diamonds hang from a series of chains. Charles places it around Jeanne's neck, hoping she’ll get a thrill out of touching such a valuable piece of jewelry.

Charles’s plan seems to work. Because Jeanne is amazed by the necklace, and she leaves the showroom with a promise to help Charles sell it. But since Jeanne doesn’t actually have a relationship with the queen, she can’t ask Marie Antoinette to buy the necklace. She does want the necklace for herself, however. So, Jeanne picks up her pen and writes another fake letter from Marie Antoinette to Cardinal de Rohan.

Acting as Marie Antoinette in this forged letter, Jeanne declares that she wants the necklace but feels unable to buy it—she thinks her husband, King Louis XVI, will consider it too expensive. But then she proposes a solution. She’s sure that once Louis sees the necklace on her, he will change his mind. So he asks Rohan to act as a secret intermediary in the purchase. If he can negotiate a deal for the necklace, Marie Antoinette will give him the money for it later, once the king has seen it and fallen in love. Still, completely fooled and smitten, Rohan can’t refuse.

So, Charles the jeweler soon receives some good news. Rohan meets with him and declares he’s been entrusted with a secret mission to buy the necklace on behalf of Marie Antoinette. Charles is ecstatic and quickly negotiates a deal for Rohan to pay the asking price in four installments.

Rohan then leaves the showroom with the valuable necklace in his pocket, promising to give it to Jeanne, who’ll then hand it to the queen. Meanwhile, Charles settles in to await payment. Every day, he checks the news from court. But months pass, and the queen doesn’t wear the diamond necklace. Jeanne reassures Charles that Marie Antoinette simply hasn’t found the right moment to tell the King about her extravagant purchase.

But as time passes, Charles becomes more concerned. The due date of the first installment comes and goes with no money changing hands. So, Charles writes to Rohan requesting payment—but since the queen hasn’t given Rohan the money yet, he can’t pay.

Charles tries to kickstart the process by writing a fawning letter to the queen thanking her for buying the necklace—but he hears nothing back. So, he then travels to Versailles himself to speak to Marie Antoinette in person. There, Charles pleads for her to pay for the necklace she bought, otherwise, he faces bankruptcy. But the queen’s expression only shows confusion. She knows nothing about a diamond necklace.

With a sinking stomach, Charles realizes he’s been scammed. The queen also realizes that something is afoot—and she informs the king. The next morning, on August 15th, 1785, King Louis XVI orders the incarceration of Cardinal de Rohan.

After his shocking arrest, it soon becomes clear though, that the real mastermind behind the plan is Jeanne de la Motte, and she too is taken into custody.

Over the next few weeks, the complex scheme will begin to unravel. Charles will discover that his valuable necklace has been dismantled and the individual jewels sold. Marie Antoinette will discover that her name has been unknowingly used as part of an audacious fraud. And Cardinal de Rohan will learn that for months he’s been played for a fool.

Act Three

It’s May 31st, 1786, in Paris, nine months after the discovery of the Diamond Necklace Affair.

The now disgraced Cardinal Louis-René-Édouard de Rohan slumbers in his cell at the Bastille, a prison used to incarcerate enemies of the French king.

Since his arrest last year, Rohan has been kept behind bars. He was advised to appeal to the king’s clemency, but he considered that to be an admission of guilt. Instead, he was determined to plead his case in court. That was a risky gamble since the king and queen have made clear their wish to see Rohan punished for his part in this embarrassing affair. But Rohan wouldn’t be dissuaded. Now, he’s waiting to hear the court’s decision.

Rohan rises from his cot as he hears his cell door being unlocked. It opens, and the guard gruffly tells him to follow. Puzzled, Rohan does as is told but as he’s led through the prison, he peppers the guard with questions, until the man finally tells him what’s going on: the court has found him not guilty and Rohan is being freed.

Rohan may be a gullible fool, but he’s no fraudster, and the court found in his favor. Still, Rohan doesn’t remain in Paris for long. King Louis is still angry with him, and he has the final word by issuing a decree that expels Rohan from court.

The king’s determination to punish Rohan is designed to protect the honor of the queen. But it doesn’t work. Even though Marie Antoinette knew nothing of the fraud being carried out in her name, the scandal still damages her reputation. After years of extravagant spending, many believe that Marie Antoinette really did try to buy the expensive necklace. And criticism of her and the king will mount over the next three years until the French people rise up in revolution. The monarchy will be overthrown, and Louis and Marie Antoinette will be sent to the guillotine.

By then the architect of the Diamond Necklace Affair will be far from Paris. Having been found guilty of fraud and sent to a notorious prison for prostitutes, Jeanne de La Motte will escape and flee to London. There, as the French Revolution ignites across the Channel, Jeanne will compose her memoirs—writing her own version of the Diamond Necklace Affair, and how it started to unravel after the stunning arrest of France’s most senior clergyman on August 15th, 1785.

Outro

Next on History Daily. August 16th, 1896. George Carmack discovers gold in Canada’s Yukon Territory, triggering the Klondike Gold Rush.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Thrumm.

This episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves.

Edited by Dorian Merina.

Managing producer, Emily Burke.

Executive Producers are William Simpson for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.