Armand Gabriel Rétaux de Villette was a French procurer, forger, blackmailer and pimp. He participated in the famous Affair of the Diamond Necklace.
Early life
He was born in France near the city ofLyon in 1754. He was younger son of a minor aristocrat whose family lacked the financial resources to secure him a position suitable to his status in life. At a young age, Rétaux left home and enlisted in the army as an ordinary soldier. It is unknown how long he remained in military service or whether he was discharged honorably or deserted. However, by 1778, at the age of 19, he was known to be living in Paris and representing himself as the ‘Comte‘ de Villette, a title that really belonged to his elder brother. While in Paris, Rétaux supported himself by recruiting young women to work as prostitutes for which he was paid a fee by brothel owners. It is thought that he also worked as a male prostitute to help make ends meet. It was during that time that Villette developed a talent for forgery. While plying his trade, he was known to forge letters of credit for sums of money greater than what was owed for his services. In addition to the nefarious activities, Villette occasionally resorted to blackmailing his clients.
Through an intimate relationship with Jeanne de Saint-Rémy de Valois, the pair staged a scandal involving a diamond necklace. The famous Affair of the Diamond Necklace made history in France. Villette played the role of forger by writing letters to Jeanne in the hand of Queen Marie Antoinette to mske it seem as if the Queen desired the necklace but was unable to purchase it because of the reluctance on the part of King Louis XVI. The letters were presented in turn to Cardinal Rohan and persuaded him to buy the necklace for the Queen or so he thought. After the necklace had been purchased by Rohan and given to Saint-Remy to pass along to the queen, she and her husband, Nicolas de la Motte, immediately took off to London and began selling the jewels from the necklace for their own profit. Villette later testified against the La Mottes. The scheme was eventually exposed, and all of those involved were prosecuted, including Villette.
