M. de Liancourt

M. de Liancourt is a minor courtier in the orbit of King Louis XIII, appearing in the narrative primarily as a member of the royal retinue during a key public event and as a name invoked in the context of the queen's secret correspondence. His presence, though fleeting, helps to establish the texture of the court and the network of individuals through whom political and amorous intrigues are conducted.

Appearance at the Royal Ball

M. de Liancourt is listed among the nobles who accompanied King Louis XIII to the grand ball given by the aldermen of Paris at the Hotel de Ville. The king, in full dress, was accompanied by his royal Highness, M. le Comte de Soissons, the Grand Prior, the Duc de Longueville, the Duc d'Euboeuf, the Comte d'Harcourt, the Comte de la Roche-Guyon, M. de Liancourt, M. de Baradas, the Comte de Cramail, and the Chevalier de Souveray. This enumeration places M. de Liancourt within the immediate circle of the king's party for this significant state occasion, a ball that was the scene of the dramatic confrontation over the queen's diamond studs. His inclusion in this list marks him as a figure of sufficient rank and proximity to the king to be part of the royal suite, yet he is not given any individual action or dialogue, remaining a background figure in the crowd.

Mention in the Queen's Correspondence

M. de Liancourt's name also surfaces in the context of the secret correspondence between Queen Anne of Austria and the Duke of Buckingham. During the queen's emotional interview with the duke in her chambers at the Louvre, she recounts the persecution she has suffered, stating that the king, excited by the cardinal, made a terrible clamor, and that Madame de Vernet was driven from her, Putange was exiled, and Madame de Chevreuse fell into disgrace. She then adds, "and when you wished to come back as ambassador to France, the king himself—remember, my lord—the king himself opposed to it." While M. de Liancourt is not directly named in this specific exchange, the broader context of the queen's lament—the catalog of her friends and servants who have been punished or exiled—establishes the atmosphere of suspicion and danger that surrounds her. The mention of his name in the list of the king's companions at the ball, juxtaposed with the queen's fear and isolation, subtly underscores the divide between the king's public court and the queen's private, beleaguered circle. M. de Liancourt, by being named among the king's party, is implicitly placed on the side of the king and, by extension, the cardinal's influence, rather than among the queen's dwindling allies.