The Betrayal of the Duchess

The dramatic tale of the Duchesse de Berry's quest to retake the French throne for the Bourbons — and her betrayal at the hands of one of her closest advisors

In July 1830, the French royal family went into exile. From a drafty Scottish castle, the Duchesse de Berry hatched a plot to restore the dynasty and, after two years of careful planning, she set out to reclaim the throne for her son. For months, she commanded a guerilla army and evaded capture by disguising herself as a man. But she was soon sold out by her most trusted advisor, a convert from Judaism named Simon Deutz. France's response to the betrayal was intense, the duchess's plight became a cause célèbre for Bourbon loyalists, and the affair became a blueprint for anti-Semitic stereotypes and rhetoric.

Brimming with intrigue and lush detail, The Betrayal of the Duchess is the riveting story of a high-spirited woman and the charming but volatile young man who double-crossed her.