Le Collier de la Reine, Tome I

by Alexandre Dumas

"Le Collier de la Reine, Tome I" by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet is a historical novel published between 1849 and 1850. Loosely inspired by the real Diamond Necklace Affair that scandalized Louis XVI's court in the 1780s, the story follows impoverished countess Jeanne de La Motte as she navigates the treacherous world of Versailles. When Queen Marie-Antoinette refuses an extravagant diamond necklace, a web of deception involving a manipulative cardinal, a mysterious queen lookalike, and dangerous conspirators begins to unfold with potentially devastating consequences.