Affair of the Diamond Necklace
Notable prisoners held at the Palace before their executions included Enguerrand de Marigny, the chancellor of Philip IV, who oversaw the construction of much of the Palace, accused of corruption by the king's successor, Louis X; Gabriel the Count of Montgomery, whose lance fatally wounded Henry II during a tournament, who was later accused of advocating religious reforms and disobedience to King Charles IX; François Ravaillac, the assassin of Henry IV; Marie-Madeleine d'Aubray, the marquise of Brinvilliers, a famous poisoner; the bandit Cartouche; and Robert François Damien, a Palace servant who tried to kill Louis XV. Jeanne de Valois, the Countess de la Motte, the central figure in the notorious Affair of the Diamond Necklace, who plotted to defraud Marie Antoinette, was held there, whipped, branded with a V for "Voleur" (thief), then transferred to the Saltpétriére Prison for a life sentence, but escaped a few months later.