Diamond Necklace, Affair of the

Diamond Necklace, Affair of the, scandal of the period preceding the French Revolution (1789). In 1785 Cardinal Louis René Édouard de Rohan, who was out of favour at the French court, was convinced by his mistress, an adventuress known as the countess de la Motte that he could regain his position if he acted as an intermediary in securing a valuable diamond necklace for the queen, Marie Antoinette. Rohan ordered the necklace from a Parisian jeweller, who gave it to him and the countess, believing they were the queen's agents. The necklace was never seen again. It is believed that the countess's husband took it to London, where it was broken up and sold. When the jeweller failed to receive payment, Rohan and the countess were arrested and charged with fraud. He was exiled to a monastery; she was whipped, branded, and sentenced to life imprisonment but later escaped. Popular revulsion at the scandal, especially the queen's supposed involvement, helped discredit the French monarchy on the eve of the Revolution.