The Affair of the Poisons, Part 2: Scandal at Versailles

As accusations from La Voisin’s circle reached Versailles, Madame de Montespan, Louis XIV’s former favourite was drawn into claims of love powders, forbidden rituals, and poison plots. But the evidence was shaped by rumour, torture,fear, and politics, leaving one question at the centre of the scandal: what was real, and what was too dangerous for the monarchy to expose?Support the show on Patreon: If you enjoy Historical True Crime and want to help support the research, writing, hosting, and production that goes into each episode, you can join my Patreon for as little as $2 a month. Patrons get access to extra episodes and bonus content, including cases that are not in the regular feed.Patreon.com/historicaltruecrime Source Materials Anne Somerset, The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIVHolly Tucker, City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of ParisAntonia Fraser, Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun KingNancy Mitford, The Sun King: Louis XIV at VersaillesBenedetta Faedi Duramy, “Women and Poisons in 17th Century France,” Chicago-Kent Law Review, Vol. 87, No. 2, 2012Erika Carroll, “Potions, Poisons and ‘Inheritance Powders’: How Chemical Discourses Entangled 17th Century France in the Brinvilliers Trial and the Poison Affair,” Voces Novae, 2012