The mystery of the ‘real’ Milady de Winter of The Three Musketeers

It is known that d’Artagnan and his companions are based, albeit loosely, upon real people, but what of Milady de Winter, and the infamous diamond affair?

What is the story of the Queen Anne’s Diamonds?

In Dumas’ telling of the story, Anne – the young, beautiful and neglected queen of France to King Louis XIII (r1610–43)– succumbs to the tender attentions of the charming and handsome Duke of Buckingham. She gives him a set of diamond studs as a token of her affection: diamonds that had been presented to her by Louis XIII.

Cardinal Richelieu, no friend of the queen, discovers this indiscretion and sees it as a way to humiliate her in the eyes of the king. The cardinal commissions his agent, Milady, to seek out Buckingham in England to remove two of the studs and bring them back to him.

Meanwhile, Richelieu persuades Louis to hold a ball, adding that it would provide an opportunity for the queen to show off her new jewels. Louis agrees. The date of the ball is set, and arrangements are made.

Anne, knowing that her act of folly will be exposed, confides in her seamstress, Constance. They agree that the diamonds must be returned, and Anne writes a letter to Buckingham asking for them. When Constance's husband refuses to carry the letter, Constance asks her lover d’Artagnan to deliver it, and he sets out, along with Athos, Porthos and Aramis.

As Dumas has it, they must retrieve the diamonds and return them to the queen before the ball begins. In the event, only d’Artagnan manages to reach England. He explains the situation to Buckingham, but as the duke hands over the jewels, he notices two are missing, and immediately guesses who took them – Milady de Winter, whom he had encountered at a ball at Windsor the previous week.

With no time to lose, Buckingham orders two new studs to be made identical to those that were stolen. He hands the restored jewels to d’Artagnan, who races to Paris. D’Artagnan returns the diamonds to the queen in time for her to wear them to the ball, thereby saving her reputation, and frustrating the cardinal’s evil designs.

Is the tale of Milady and the queen’s diamonds a true story?

In the preface to The Three Musketeers, Dumas claims that he was researching Louis XIV in the Bibliothéque nationale de France when he happened upon the first volume of The Memoirs of M. d’Artagnan. This is not entirely true: he found the book in the public library in Marseilles, borrowed it and never returned it.

The Memoirs of M. d’Artagnan is a first-person pseudo memoir written by a former soldier, Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras, and first published in 1700.

It tells the story of d’Artagnan, a young man setting out on his journey to become a musketeer. As well as d’Artagnan, Dumas discovered Athos, Porthos and Aramis, who would eventually become major characters in The Three Musketeers. He also found Milady de Winter.

Courtilz never gives Milady’s name. Instead, she is referred to simply as ‘Milady’ followed by a dash or asterisks where her name should be. She is introduced as a maid of honour to Henrietta Maria, queen to the executed Charles I of England, whose exile in France Milady shares.

The daughter of an English peer, Milady has as much wit as beauty, and d’Artagnan thinks her the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. He promptly falls in love with her. There then follows a complicated sexual intrigue, one of several for Courtilz’s d’Artagnan. Once it is over, Milady is never heard from again.

This is the episode that Dumas adapted for The Three Musketeers.

The affair of the queen’s diamonds is absent from Courtilz, but at least part of the story as Dumas told it is supported by several contemporary memoirs.

Those of Françoise Bertaut de Motteville, Pierre de La Porte and Henri-Auguste de Loménie, Comte de Brienne – all of whom served at the royal court of France – each provide an account of the Duke of Buckingham’s visit to France in 1625.

Buckingham had been sent to escort Henrietta Maria, then Charles I’s new queen, to England. While in France, he ostentatiously courted the queen, Anne of Austria.

None of these memoirs, however, mention the diamonds that Anne was said to have given to the duke. For this part of the story, it is necessary to consult the memoirs of Henri-Auguste's son, an obscure publication known as Recueil A, and the memoirs of François de La Rochefoucauld.

Louis-Henri de Loménie, Comte de Brienne served Louis XIV as secretary of state, a position he inherited from his father. He left a memoir, which was published in the early 19th century. Certain editions, particularly that edited by Jean François Barrière, include an account of the queen’s diamonds.

It does not form part of Brienne’s original narrative – he was not even born at the time of the alleged diamond affair. Instead, it is mentioned in an introductory essay, written by the editor, explaining the manners and customs of 17th-century France. It is then related in full in an appendix, Éclaircissements historiques, or ‘historical clarifications’. In this version, the diamond thief is named as Lady Clarik. However, the story was lifted word-for-word from Recueil A, and inserted into the memoir.

Recueil A is the first volume of a large collection published in the 18th century. It comprises an assortment of documents, including extracts of memoirs, concerning the history of France.

The author of the account of the diamond affair is enigmatically identified as ‘M. le M. de T’. Behind these initials, according to the anonymous editor of the Recueil, is René de Froulay, Comte de Tessé.

The Comte de Tessé was a real person. Born in 1651, he was a military man, diplomat and courtier. He did indeed leave a memoir, but the diamond affair does not appear in it. The story as found in Recueil A and later inserted into the memoir by Brienne is, therefore, unreliable.

What then of La Rochefoucauld? In his memoir, the lady who stole the diamonds was not Lady Clarik but the countess of Carlisle. In fact, Lady Clarik did not exist – but Lady Carlisle certainly did.

Who was Lucy Hay and how did she become Countess of Carlisle?

Lucy Hay, countess of Carlisle, born in 1599, was the daughter of Henry Percy, 9th earl of Northumberland.

Through her mother, Dorothy Devereux, she was well connected, being descended from Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn. Lucy’s maternal uncle was Robert Devereux, 2nd earl of Essex, the former favourite of Elizabeth I.

Lucy was headstrong. She chose her own husband and refused to change her mind despite strong pressure from her father. Her choice had fallen upon James Hay, master of the wardrobe to King James VI and I.

Lucy married Hay, who was twice her age, in 1617. This set Lucy upon the court career her mother desired for her. Hay, one of the king’s favourites, was rich, extravagant and fashionable. His flair for diplomacy suited him to an ambassadorial role, which often took him away to continental Europe. He was elevated to the peerage, and, as a result, Lucy became Viscountess Doncaster in 1618 and countess of Carlisle in 1622.

During one of Hay’s trips abroad, Lucy entered into a relationship with George Villiers, Marquis (later Duke) of Buckingham. Charming, intelligent and irresistibly handsome, Buckingham had surpassed all others, including Hay, to become the new favourite of King James. When the old king died, Buckingham became the favourite of his heir, Charles I.

Buckingham, as the gateway to power, position and influence at court, was not the man to provoke. Hay’s best strategy was to accept that his wife was Buckingham’s mistress. This proved to be a wise decision, for both men benefitted from it.

Moreover, despite the possibility that her relationship with Buckingham may have been coerced, Lucy also gained from it. In 1626, she became Lady of the Queen’s Bedchamber, a prestigious position she might not have obtained had it not been for Buckingham.

The purpose of this promotion was to enable Lucy to spy on the queen on Buckingham’s behalf. It was rumoured that Buckingham and Hay also wanted to place her into the king’s bed for the same purpose.

Following the death of Buckingham and, later, her husband, Lucy was free to follow her own path. The world of espionage attracted her, and she was particularly active during the Civil War. On occasion, she played both sides against the other, with each believing that she was acting on their behalf and trusting her implicitly.

It was Lucy who famously warned John Pym that King Charles I was making his way to parliament to arrest Pym and his associates. Her actions allowed Pym and the others to escape.

What parallels are there between Milady de Winter and Lucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle?

Is Milady de Winter really Lucy in disguise with diamonds? Certainly, there are some areas of correlation between Milady and Lady Carlisle.

Both were ambitious: Dumas’ Milady, as a young nun, seduced a young priest, running away with him and setting up a new life. Milady lived with her lover until Athos found her and proposed to her. She accepted, seeing a better life with him. Lucy chose to marry a much older man who was established at court and a favourite of the king. When she became Buckingham’s mistress, she used her elevated position to attain further advancement in court and society.

Both women were also widows: Milady had been married to Lord de Winter, whom she would later be accused of poisoning. Lucy’s husband, James Hay, died in 1636 of natural causes.

Both acted as agents. In Milady’s case, she served Richelieu, fulfilling whatever mission he asked of her until her death. Lucy spied on the queen on Buckingham’s behalf – and possibly the king, too – though she chose her own causes once widowhood had set her free.

Likewise, Milady and Lucy each spent time in prison. Milady was imprisoned by her brother-in-law, while he made plans to deport her to the colonies. Lucy spent time in the Tower of London, having been arrested by the new Council of State on charges of treason.

There were differences, however. Milady spent part of her youth in a Benedictine convent, whereas Lucy was never a nun. While Lucy was a lady of the court, Milady skirted the fringes of the court as an agent of the cardinal. Milady was executed as a young woman, while Lucy lived into her sixties and died a natural death.

Is Milady de Winter based on Lucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle?

Though there is some correlation between the lives of Milady and Lady Carlisle, the historical facts and circumstances tend away from the character of Milady being inspired by Lady Carlisle, at least directly.

The story of Buckingham’s courtship of Anne of Austria is well attested, but no one except La Rochefoucauld, followed by Recueil A and Brienne, knew about the diamond affair.

The only record of any such gems being given to Buckingham occurs in June 1625, when Louis XIII presented him with a circlet of diamonds worth 200,000 francs. There was nothing secret about this, as it is listed as an official gift alongside a bronze statue of a horse.

La Rochefoucauld became the lover of Madame de Chevreuse, who was among those selected to accompany Henrietta Maria to England, and it is possible that he heard the story of the diamond studs from her.

However, as a member of literary salons, where gossip and the latest news was freely exchanged, it is strange that he did not speak of the story to anyone else. Similarly, Madame de Chevreuse seems to have kept the story to herself, an unusual step for such an accomplished intriguer.

The diamond affair aspect of the story itself is suspect. Anne of Austria was never alone with Buckingham, except for the few fleeting moments when they walked together in the garden at Amiens. It is unlikely she would have had the diamonds with her on that occasion.

Even if she did, her panic when she suddenly found herself alone with Buckingham meant that she had no time to pass them to him because her attendants arrived on the scene immediately.

Later, Buckingham visited Anne in her bedroom, but she was accompanied by her principal lady of the bedchamber, the Dame de Lannoy.

Especially adamant that Buckingham should not be left alone with the queen, Lannoy kept a close eye on the two of them during the entire interview. It is difficult to see how Anne could have given diamonds to Buckingham without being seen.

Even had she found an opportunity, the interview in the queen’s bedroom was the wrong occasion. Anne was said to have given the diamonds to Buckingham just as he was leaving for England.

Anne had no occasion to do so, as she was never out of the sight of her ladies, her servants or courtiers.

What is Milady de Winter’s real name?

For much of The Three Musketeers, Richelieu’s agent is known as Milady de Winter, a name that disguises her status as Athos’s wife until the point in the plot where it becomes crucial to reveal it.

However, in the novel she is also referred to as Anne de Breuil, which is probably her real name, and also known as Lady Clarik, an alias.

She became the Countess de La Fère upon her marriage to Athos, whose real name is Olivier, Comte de La Fère. Her name changed to Lady de Winter, Baroness Sheffield when she married Lord de Winter, Baron Sheffield.

Later, she was known as Charlotte Backson (or Blackston), the name given to her by her late husband’s brother to distance her from his family.

Of these names, the one to note is Lady Clarik.

This name does not appear in La Rochefoucauld’s account, which identifies the supposed diamond thief as Lady Carlisle. However, the name Clarik does appear in Recueil A and the interpolation found in Brienne.

It is possible that this is a misreading of Carlisle, but the fact remains that Dumas and his collaborator, Auguste Maquet, gave Clarik as one of Milady’s names. Although Dumas was aware of Lucy’s husband, the Earl of Carlisle, having mentioned him in Louis XIV et son Siècle – a historical account of Louis XIV published shortly after The Three Musketeers – he did not make the connection with Lady Carlisle. It is unlikely, therefore, that he knowingly based the character of Milady de Winter upon her.

Why is Lucy Hay associated with Queen Anne’s diamonds?

Considering the implausibility of the account of the queen’s diamond studs, where did the story originate? The answer lies in political differences between Buckingham and the Carlisles.

Lucy and her husband were pro-French, while Buckingham was not.

The Carlisles saw personal, cultural and political benefits in closer relations between England and France, and they cultivated diplomats and others to work to this end.

Buckingham’s concerns were political and religious: particularly, the Protestant Buckingham viewed Cardinal Richelieu negatively for his treatment of the Huguenots.

Then there is the fact of Lucy’s status as Buckingham’s mistress. It would not stretch the imagination of memoirists too much to envisage Lucy sabotaging the cardinal’s designs to discredit Anne of Austria while, at the same time, exacting revenge for her lover’s infidelity.

Moreover, half-remembered and much exaggerated accounts of Buckingham’s extravagance continued to circulate. Known for his beautiful and lavish wardrobe, a story emerged that he wore diamonds loosely sewn onto his garments, many of which fell to the floor as he walked.

This story is based on fact to some extent – one diamond was lost in this way but was retrieved and returned to him the following day. Thus, a legend was born that associated Lucy, Buckingham and diamonds.

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