In the meantime she was married off to her procurer's brother, Comte Guillaume du Barry and she was given a fabricated noble birth certificate making her an aristocrat although she was coming from ragtag and bobtail! Although she was installed in a chamber at Versailles she was not allowed to be seen publicly with the king. The rules of etiquette commanded that she must be officially introduced to the king in front of the eyes of everyone at Versailles. The much awaited occasion was postponed by some accidents/incidents such as the fall of the king from his horse while he was hunting...But better late than never! The official introduction to the king took place in the Hall of Mirrors in 1769 which was in itself a victory for her. During her stay at Versailles she has found friends from aristocracy to sponsor her, to pamper her, to give her every luxury she wanted. Madame Du Barry was fond of ostentatious dresses and jewelry heavy in ornamentation and price. On the occasion of this introduction for instance she was wearing a flamboyant dress and jewels which were respectively ordered by her loyal admirer Richelieu and the king especially for the day.
The position of maîtresse-en-titre was vacant after Madame de Pompadour passed away (for about five years) and many were looking forward to be the next official mistress including the sister of Duc de Choiseul the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France. Maybe that's why Choiseul disliked Madame du Barry so much and she has become so "anti-Choiseul"! It is true that after she has become the official mistress, King Louis was taking her to almost everywhere even political meetings. So, she must have some influence over political matters, decisions...However, she was never so clever or political like Madame de Pompadour as she lacked her knowledge and education. Du Barry was more interested in having pompous hairdo's, dresses and jewelry. She was spending so much that her income was never enough for her even though it was very high. The Comtesse was also given servants including an African boy whom she liked to dress up. (Then she dismissed him because he was supporting revolutionary ideas).
Have you ever heard of the famous Necklace Affair? No?? A very expensive flamboyant diamond necklace was prepared with the hopes of selling it to Madame du Barry (or some say that it was commissioned by the King to please her favorite). Anyway the famous court jewellers Boehmer and Bassenge were left unpaid when the King died of smallpox and his mistress was sent away from Versailles. They offered the necklace to Marie Antoinette but she was not interested in that necklace which was designed for Du Barry who liked to show off with such enormous jewels. Being rejected and left alone with a huge financial burden, the jewellers were so happy when they have heard later that the Queen has changed her mind. She made Cardinal de Rohan her intermediary to buy the necklace for her. Of course this was a lie, a huge fraud. The story and plan was made up by a woman "a con artist who called herself Jeanne de Saint-Rémy de Valois, a.k.a. Jeanne de la Motte". She persuaded Cardinal de Rohan that the Queen finally made up her mind to forgive the cardinal (the Queen disliked him and he was so desperate to win her favor). Jeanne de la Motte found a look a like of Marie Antoinette and arranged a secret meeting late night in the gardens of Versailles. Cardinal Rohan believed that woman with a rose in the shadows was Marie Antoinette and he bought the necklace for her. When everything finally came out, Mme. de la Motte was arrested and put into trial. However, this scandalous case created more dislike for the French Queen and nobody believed her except for her husband Louis XVI. The con artist was made a scapegoat and while Marie Antoinette added to her self-image as Madame Déficit, spending huge sums of money when France was bankrupt...
I couldn't keep myself but tell this long story (though this was a very short version) to prove that it wasn't Marie Antoinette who was spending France's treasury into ruins but rather it was Madame du Barry (OK! I admit that the Queen was not completely innocent! :) )
to be continued...;) Madame du Barry will return with more fun facts and more art history in part two...
Jeanne Bécu later Madame du Barry
Madame du Barry depicted in her dressing ceremony
Madame du Barry's bed in Versailles
The position of maîtresse-en-titre was vacant after Madame de Pompadour passed away (for about five years) and many were looking forward to be the next official mistress including the sister of Duc de Choiseul the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France. Maybe that's why Choiseul disliked Madame du Barry so much and she has become so "anti-Choiseul"! It is true that after she has become the official mistress, King Louis was taking her to almost everywhere even political meetings. So, she must have some influence over political matters, decisions...However, she was never so clever or political like Madame de Pompadour as she lacked her knowledge and education. Du Barry was more interested in having pompous hairdo's, dresses and jewelry. She was spending so much that her income was never enough for her even though it was very high. The Comtesse was also given servants including an African boy whom she liked to dress up. (Then she dismissed him because he was supporting revolutionary ideas).
Have you ever heard of the famous Necklace Affair? No?? A very expensive flamboyant diamond necklace was prepared with the hopes of selling it to Madame du Barry (or some say that it was commissioned by the King to please her favorite). Anyway the famous court jewellers Boehmer and Bassenge were left unpaid when the King died of smallpox and his mistress was sent away from Versailles. They offered the necklace to Marie Antoinette but she was not interested in that necklace which was designed for Du Barry who liked to show off with such enormous jewels. Being rejected and left alone with a huge financial burden, the jewellers were so happy when they have heard later that the Queen has changed her mind. She made Cardinal de Rohan her intermediary to buy the necklace for her. Of course this was a lie, a huge fraud. The story and plan was made up by a woman "a con artist who called herself Jeanne de Saint-Rémy de Valois, a.k.a. Jeanne de la Motte". She persuaded Cardinal de Rohan that the Queen finally made up her mind to forgive the cardinal (the Queen disliked him and he was so desperate to win her favor). Jeanne de la Motte found a look a like of Marie Antoinette and arranged a secret meeting late night in the gardens of Versailles. Cardinal Rohan believed that woman with a rose in the shadows was Marie Antoinette and he bought the necklace for her. When everything finally came out, Mme. de la Motte was arrested and put into trial. However, this scandalous case created more dislike for the French Queen and nobody believed her except for her husband Louis XVI. The con artist was made a scapegoat and while Marie Antoinette added to her self-image as Madame Déficit, spending huge sums of money when France was bankrupt...
I couldn't keep myself but tell this long story (though this was a very short version) to prove that it wasn't Marie Antoinette who was spending France's treasury into ruins but rather it was Madame du Barry (OK! I admit that the Queen was not completely innocent! :) )
to be continued...;) Madame du Barry will return with more fun facts and more art history in part two...
Madame du Barry and King Louis XV
Jeanne Bécu later Madame du Barry
Madame du Barry
Madame du Barry's bed in Versailles
Just for fun: Real Du Barry was blonde. Asia Argento (who plays Du Barry in film Marie Antoinette-2006) may not look like her but she has the air of the passionate (!?) mistress... Du Barry was caricaturized and exaggerated in the film.
