The Affair of The Necklace - Differences in The Film and The Real Affair

Differences in The Film and The Real Affair

• In the film, it is shown that Jeanne and her family had a family estate. In reality, Jeanne and her family were very poor, living in the slums of Paris.
• The Valois family were descended from Henry de Saint Rémy, an illegitimate son of Henry II.
• Jeanne had two siblings; an older brother, Jacques, and a younger sister Marie-Anne. In a deleted scene, Jeanne is shown with her unnamed baby brother.
• In the film, Marie Antoinette explains that Madame du Barry, Louis XV's mistress was recently banished from the French court. In fact, du Barry was banished from Versailles in 1774 shortly before the king died from smallpox, and the necklace was presented to Antoinette in 1778, and again in 1781, she refused the necklace both times.
• Jeanne was in fact a con-artist, who sought to use the necklace to gain wealth, power, and possibly royal patronage. In the film, Jeanne used the diamonds as profit to buy her family estate.
• Nicolas de la Motte actually sold the diamonds in London. He did not sell any in Paris.
• Jeanne did escape to London, disguised as a boy, where she died from falling from a hotel window in 1791. Some speculate that she was trying to hide from tax payers, while others say it was an act of revenge from French royalists.
• Count Cagliostro left France for England after he was acquitted. He later went to Rome, where he was accused and imprisoned for being a forger. He died at the Fortess of San Leo in 1795.
• Cardinal de Rohan's acquittal received popular enthusiasm as a victory over the royal court, partially the Queen. He was expelled from his position as grand almoner and he exiled himself to his abbey of Chaise-Dieu. After the revolution, he left for Strasbourg in the Holy Roman Empire. He died in Ettenheim in 1805.
• Rétaux de Villette served as a forger, writing letters to Rohan, believing them to be from the Queen. He left for London with Nicolas de la Motte to sell the diamonds. After the trial, he was exiled to Italy, where he died there in 1797.