Marie Antoinette's diamond necklace display linked to French monarchy's fall
- The diamond necklace, valued at around $20 million today, was designed for Madame du Barry and later sought by Marie Antoinette.
- Cardinal de Rohan was deceived into believing he was in correspondence with the queen, leading to a scandal involving the necklace.
- The affair significantly damaged Marie Antoinette's reputation and is linked to the eventual downfall of the French monarchy.
A diamond necklace, central to the Affair of the Diamond Necklace in the 1780s, is set to be displayed for the first time at London Sotheby's. This necklace, valued at approximately $20 million today, was originally designed for Madame du Barry by the renowned jewellers Boehmer and Bassange. After the death of Louis XV, the jewellers sought to sell the necklace to Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, who was eager to regain the queen's favor after a fallout. The situation escalated when Cardinal de Rohan, misled by a woman impersonating the queen, believed he was in a romantic correspondence with Marie Antoinette. This woman, hired by de Valois-Saint-Rémy, manipulated the cardinal into believing he was to deliver the necklace to the queen. After providing a deposit and showing the jewellers the correspondence, the cardinal received the necklace, which he mistakenly handed over to de Valois-Saint-Rémy instead of the queen. The scandal surrounding the necklace affair severely tarnished Marie Antoinette's reputation, despite her innocence in the matter. The public's perception of the queen worsened as France faced economic turmoil, with failing harvests and starving peasants. This growing discontent contributed to the eventual downfall of the French monarchy. The necklace will be auctioned on November 11 at Geneva's Mandarin Oriental, marking a significant moment in history as it symbolizes the events that led to the queen's execution and the collapse of the monarchy in France.