By the end of the 18th century, the French Monarchy was on its final legs. It was financially ruined, had a broadly disliked political system, and its monarchy had been steeped in scandal. The 1784-1785 Affair of the Diamond Necklace was one of the low points of the French Crown, especially Queen Marie Antoinette, causing her popularity to plummet as France raced towards revolution. This event was one of many that led to the French Revolution.
Allegedly some of the diamonds from the Necklace Affair found their way onto a 300-carat diamond necklace that became part of the collection of the Marquess of Anglesey. It stayed in the family collection and was worn by its members for the coronations of King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1937.
The diamond necklace is now headlining Sotheby's Geneva's 13-14 November Royal & Noble Jewels sale. The lot is estimated between CHF 1.6-2.2 million (around US$1.85-2.55 million).
Rare, Historic and Highly Important 18th century jewel
Leght: approximately 67 cm
Provenance:
- Formerly in the Collection of the Marquees of Angelsey
Estimate: CHF 1,600,000-2,000,000 (around US$1.9-2.6 million)
Auction House: Sotheby’s Geneva
Sale: Royal & Noble Jewels
Date: 13-14 November 2024
Marie Antoinette was married to the future King of France Louis XVI in 1770. From the start, the marriage was constantly looked down upon in court. The public heard and spread rumors about her infidelity, and she was infamous for spending the crown's money carelessly. One of her main opponents at court was her father-in-law King Louis XV's mistress, Madame du Barry, who incidentally was the original intended recipient of the necklace that started the whole scandal.
The original necklace from which the diamonds were pilfered was meant as a gift from Louis XV to du Barry. The necklace, commissioned in 1772 and completed two years later, cost around US$17.5 million in today's rates. The product of this work was a glorious necklace with seventeen diamonds the size of hazelnuts and pendants in a multi-star shape surrounding it.
However, before it could be purchased by Louis XV to gift to du Barry, the King died of smallpox in 1774. The jewelers hoped that it would be purchased by Marie Antoinette, with Louis XVI even offering it to her as a gift. Antoinette refused, possibly because it was originally meant for her rival.
A reconstruction of the necklace meant for Madame du Barry held by Chateau de Breteuil, France
This led to the actual scandal perpetrated by a minor aristocrat and scammer Jeanne de la Motte and her lover, Cardinal de Rohan. Over the years Mottee had convinced Rohan and others that she knew the Queen, but in reality, she was lying and impersonating the Queen in letters to Rohan manipulating him to do her bidding.
This included convincing the Cardinal to purchase the unsold necklace, to which Rohan agreed, telling the jewelers that it would be paid for in installments. When the jewelers approached the actual Queen regarding payment, she told them that she had neither ordered nor received any necklace, thus the scandal broke in 1785.
The King and Queen of France demanded a public trial for the guilty to defend their honor. However, the public empathized with the perpetrators and condemned the Queen, believing she had an affair with Rohan, due to the rumors already circling her. Motte was meant to be whipped, branded, and imprisoned, but her public popularity only resulted in life imprisonment, which she escaped, dying in London in 1791.
The scandal greatly damaged the Royal Family's reputation, especially the Queen. Her already excessive personal spending combined with the scandal led the public to despise her as a cause and symbol of all that was wrong with the French state. Even if the Queen was innocent the fervor in French society had reached a point where anger towards the Queen was the only acceptable option. The affair helped contribute to the public hatred for the Bourbon monarchy and the subsequent French Revolution, which claimed Antoinette’s life in 1793.
Jeanne de la Motte the main culprit behind the Affair of the Diamond Necklace
The cushion-shaped diamond necklace belonged to the Marquess of Anglesey household. Some of the diamonds on this piece of jewelry are believed to have originated with those sold on the black market stripped from the necklace from France, but which ones exactly are unknown
As for the necklace itself, parts of it were sold on London’s black market, and presumably, this is where the diamonds found on the current lot were sourced from. If the historical description that the diamonds on the original necklace were the size of hazelnuts is taken at face value, it can be presumed that the larger diamonds above the tassels on either side of the necklace could be the ones stolen from the French necklace. It is unclear how they were sourced or when they were fashioned onto the 300-carat diamond necklace, but at some point the necklace came into the possession of the Marquees of Anglesey's collection.
The Marquess of Anglesey is a noble title created in 1815, with the house members originally belonging to the Barons Paget and Earls of Uxbridge. Their promotion to the title of marquess gave them the second highest rank attainable by a British aristocrat. The title was created to honor Henry William Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge, for his service during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.
During the coronation of King George VI, the 6th Marquess of Anglesey attended. His wife, Lady Marjorie Paget, also attended and wore the diamond necklace, which was immortalized in a photo by famed British photographer Cecil Beaton. In 1953, when Queen Elizabeth II was coronated Lady Marjorie's daughter-in-law wore the necklace.
Victoria Marjorie Harriet Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey (Nee Manners) wearing the present lot
A close-up photo of the diamond necklace with its two tassels on either side of the jewelry piece