How to Ruin a Queen: Marie Antoinette, the Stolen Diamonds and the Scandal that Shook the French Throne - Hardcover

Beckman, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848549989 ISBN 13: 9781848549982

Publisher: John Murray Publishers Ltd, 2014

Synopsis

'A hell of a tale and Jonathan Beckman gives it all the verve and swagger it deserves . . . I read it with fascination, delight and frequent snorts of incredulity' The Spectator

On 5 September 1785, a trial began in Paris that would divide the country, captivate Europe and send the French monarchy tumbling down the slope towards the Revolution. Cardinal Louis de Rohan, scion of one of the most ancient and distinguished families in France, stood accused of forging Marie Antoinette's signature to fraudulently obtain the most expensive piece of jewellery in Europe - a 2,400-carat necklace worth 1.6 million francs.

Where were the diamonds now? Was Rohan entirely innocent? Was, for that matter, the queen? What was the role of the charismatic magus, the comte de Cagliostro, who was rumoured to be two-thousand-years old and capable of transforming metal into gold?

This is a tale of political machinations and extravagance on an enormous scale; of kidnappings, prison breaks and assassination attempts; of hapless French police disguised as colliers, reams of lesbian pornography and a duel fought with poisoned pigs. It is a detective story, a courtroom drama, a tragicomic farce, and a study of credulity and self-deception in the Age of Enlightenment.

About this title

Product Description:

In September 1785 a trial began in Paris that would divide the country, captivate Europe and set the French monarchy on course for revolution and the tumbrils. The aristocratic Cardinal Louis de Rohan stood accused, not only of stealing a 2,800-carat diamond necklace, but claiming he was acting for the queen in purchasing the jewellery. Beckman reopens the case and examines how this murky, convoluted tale of greed and deceit fits into the narrative of French history.

Review:

Glittering and gloriously goofy . . . This is a terrific tale, told with assurance and gusto (Guardian)

Jonathan Beckman has an eye for a good story. His account of the affair is full of human drama, including illicit sex, assassination attempts and prison escapes . . . a superb piece of research that separates myth from reality (Sunday Business Post)

A really fascinating history (Dan Stevens)

Stranger than fiction and told with a verve that suggests the author relishes his dodgy tale (Country Life)

Jonathan Beckman has tunnelled into the warren of misinformation . . . and has come out with what must be as near to the truth as we'll get (Daily Mail)

Jonathan Beckman tells his complicated tale with gusto (Observer)

A wonderfully enjoyable account of one of the most audacious cons ever perpetrated (John Preston, Evening Standard Books of the Year)

Jonathan Beckman dazzlingly rehabilitates Marie Antoinette in an atmospheric and evocative account of diamonds, fraud, intrigue and a 1785 case that stoked antiroyalist feeling in France (Telegraph Books of the Year)

A richly enjoyable account of one of the most audacious scams ever perpetrated (Mail on Sunday)

Beckman's tale of the Diamond Necklace Affair is full of character and tawdry details, and glistens with wit and insight (Daily Telegraph)

About this edition

• Publisher: John Murray Publishers Ltd
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1848549989
• ISBN 13: 9781848549982
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400