How to Ruin a Queen: Marie Antoinette and the Diamond Necklace Affair - Jonathan Beckman Audiobook

Written by Jonathan Beckman
Read by Michael Page
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Release date: December 11, 2014
Duration: 12:17:02

In 1785, a sensational trial began in Paris that would divide the country and captivate Europe. A leading Catholic cardinal and scion of one of the most distinguished families in France stood accused of forging the queen’s signature to obtain the most expensive piece of jewelry in Europe: a 2,800-carat diamond necklace. Where were the diamonds? Was the cardinal innocent? Was, for that matter, the queen? The revelations from the trial would bedevil the French monarchy as the country descended into a bloody revolution.

In 1785, scandal is running amok in France. Michael Page narrates with precise enunciation. What scandal? Marie Antoinette’s signature is used to purchase a 2,800-carat diamond necklace, which promptly disappears. Fingers point to Cardinal Louis de Rohan, the prince-bishop of Strasbourg and the grand almoner of France, and to Jeanne de Saint-Rémy, Comtesse de La Motte-Valois, illegitimate heir of King Henry Valois. Page’s brusque narration of political and monetary schemes aids listeners as they follow the mystery, complex relationships, Court intrigue, and a failing French monarchy. Page fluently switches between French, German, and English while recounting this complex history of theft, scandal, and fiscal mismanagement. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2016,

“If Hollywood had made a movie creating this plot, criticism would be that it was way over the top. Truth is stranger than fiction, however, and these events really did occur.”