ThewidespreadbeliefintheFrenchroyalfamily'sextravagancebeforetheFrenchRevolutionmaybeseenintheDiamondNecklaceAffair.
In1784,CardinaldeRohanwaspersuadedbyCountessdelaMotte,adescendantofHenryIIofFrance,thatshewasthequeen'sconfidante,andthatthequeenwantedtoacquiresecretlyanecklaceof500diamonds.Royalgratitude,evenphysicalfavours,seemedforthcomingwhenRohanwasgrantedameetinginagroveatVersailleswith"HerMajesty",whowasinfactaprostituteimpersonatingthequeen.Rohanobtainedthenecklacefromthejewellers,andturneditovertothecountess,whosehusbandtookittoLondon,whereitwasbrokenupforsale.
TheaffairbecamepublicafterRohanfailedtomeetthepaymentstothejewellers.Thecountesswasimprisoned,butsoonescapedtoLondon.
法國大革命之前，王室窮奢極侈傳說深入民心，從鑽石項鍊事件中可見一斑。
德拉莫特伯爵夫人是法王亨利二世後裔。一七八四年，她向樞機主教德羅昂自稱是王后心腹，又說王后想悄悄獲得一串五百顆鑽石的項鍊，德羅昂都信以為真。「王后」還在凡爾賽宮一個小樹林裏接見德羅昂，似乎許以報答之餘，還準備為他薦枕：那「王后」其實是個婊子扮的。德羅昂向珠寶商買下項鍊，交給德拉莫特。德拉莫特的丈夫把項鍊拿到倫敦，拆散賣出。
由於德羅昂無法付清欠珠寶商的金錢，這件事公開了。德拉莫特被捕入獄，但不久逃脫，去了倫敦。