Jeanne de Valois

[dolgoruky18]

Jeanne de La Motte-Valois was the brains behind the extraordinary "Diamond Necklace Scandal" of 1785. This adventuress, a genuine descendant of an illegitimate son of King Henry II of France, involved Cardinal de Rohan in an amazing fraud practiced on the Royal Jewellers, Bohemer and Bassenge, which included the impersonation of Marie-Antoinette at night in the Gardens of Versailles and the theft of an enormous diamond necklace (or 'riviere') originally designed for Madame du Barry. The necklace was broken up and many of the stones were sold in London by Monsieur de La Motte.

After being branded (literally) as a thief, Jeanne was imprisoned in the Salpetriere prison. From there she mysteriously escaped and fled to London. In England she began to write an endless stream of libellous memoirs and accusations against Marie-Antoinette. In this activity she was apparently assisted by her current lover, the exiled former French Finance Minister, the Marquis de Calonne.

It has been alleged that during this period she was visited by both the Princesse de Lamballe and the Duchesse de Polignac who provided her with funds sent by Louis XVI to prevent the publication of yet more libels against the Queen.

Jeanne was still in London when the Bastille fell, but before she could return to France in triumph, she fell from a high window in her London lodgings in a vain attempt to escape being arrested for debt. She sustained terrible injuries from which she died some weeks later.

Or did she ... ?

The book which contains all the necessay documents pertaining to this story is "The Queen's Necklace" by Frances Mossiker. There are also more recent studies.

[Mari]

Just off the top of my Head I cannot remember how many People were actually involved in this plot? Three...Jeanne Valois, and then the  impersonator, and  Monsieur de La Motte who sold the stones...or more?

[dolgoruky18]

Apart from Jeanne de La Motte, those directly involved in the theft of the Necklace were her husband and her secretary Retaux de Villette, who forged the notes and signatures of Marie-Antoinette which apparently fooled Cardinal de Rohan. The others arrested and put on trial before the Paris 'parlement' were Cardinal de Rohan, de Rohan's guest, the so-called Count Cagliostro, and Mlle d'Oliva who impersonated the Queen during the famous 'Grove of Venus' encounter. All, apart from Jeanne de La Motte, were acquitted. Monsieur de La Motte remained safely in London during the trial and Retaux de Villette escaped to Venice.

[Mari]

her secretary Retaux de Villette, who forged the notes and signatures of Marie-Antoinette which apparently fooled Cardinal de Rohan. The others arrested and put on trial before the Paris 'parlement' were Cardinal de Rohan, de Rohan's guest, the so-called Count Cagliostro, and Mlle d'Oliva who impersonated the Queen


Its pretty amazing that Mille d'Olivia who impersonated the Queen was not Prosecuted.... and Retaux de Villette who forged everything was not put into Prison. Is there any thought by Historical authors that Jeanne de La Motte did not die from terrible injuries? or that it was an Accident. 

[dolgoruky18]

On August 26th, 1791, both "The Courier" and "The Chronicle of London" carried the death notices of: "Jeanne de Saint-Remy de Valois, Countess de La Motte, on Tuesday, August 23rd, 1791 at eleven o'clock in the evening..."

The parish register of Saint Mary's Church, Lambeth records the burial of "Jean St. Rymer de Valois" on August 26th, 1791.

Were her injuries accidental or the result of a deliberate attack ? And if the latter, who killed her ? Did she actually die or simply disappear ?

During the period after the Bourbon Restoration in 1815, a number of stories emerged. One concerned a mysterious 'Countess Jeanne', the guest of a prominent aristocrat of the Old Regime, who lived in seclusion and luxury in Paris in 1844. This was alleged to be none other than the Countess de La Motte. Another story, persistent right up until the Russian Revolution, states that an old lady lived in retirement in a small house near the shore in the Crimea. She used to amuse a little boy who visited her by dangling an enormous diamond on a thread before his eyes. The old lady was known locally as 'The Comtesse de Gachet' and she died around 1830. On her death, a terrible scar was found near her shoulder, the memento of her branding in 1786. This last story was still being written about in 1894 and repeated by locals on into the 20th century.