At the Twilight of the Ancien Régime: Cardinal de Rohan and the Queen's Necklace Affair

The Strasbourg Museum of Decorative Arts and the National Archives of Paris present the first exhibition dedicated to the Queen's Necklace Affair, a sensational scandal during the reign of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. In August 1785, this affair involved the dramatic arrest of Cardinal de Rohan, a deception implicating the queen, the disappearance of a jewel of extraordinary value, and a cast of conspirators.

The exhibition, covering the decade 1783-1793, analyzes this scandal as a reflection of the political and social tensions on the eve of the French Revolution. It goes beyond the romanticized story to offer insight into the representations and stakes of the era.

Concurrently, until June 21, 2027, a tour through the grand apartments of the Palais Rohan in Strasbourg retraces the life and collections of Cardinal de Rohan. This circuit highlights his role, lifestyle, and the splendor of the high clergy at the end of the Ancien Régime, through prestigious objects such as ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and books. The Strasbourg collections, enriched by exceptional loans, illustrate how decorative arts then served as a support for political career and social prestige.

This presentation allows a reassessment of the cardinal's image, often reduced to his role in the necklace affair.