A friend of Marie-Antoinette (Lady Atkyns)

A captivating portrait emerges of an aristocratic English actress who, against the turbulence of the French Revolution, became obsessed with the plight of Marie‑Antoinette and the imprisoned Dauphin. Lady Atkyns, witty and resourceful, flirts with danger as she seeks entry to the Temple prison, offering the queen daring plans for escape while covertly gathering intelligence. Her determination and lavish use of guineas hint at a deeper, almost secretive mission that history has barely recorded.

The author follows a trail of forgotten letters, police archives, and whispered rumors to piece together Atkyns’s life after the Revolution. By juxtaposing contemporary scholarship with newly discovered documents, the narrative raises tantalizing questions: Did she truly aid a prince’s flight, or was she merely drawn to the legend of a surviving heir? The investigation unfolds with meticulous detail, inviting listeners to join a scholarly detective story that balances fact and conjecture, all while preserving the mystery that surrounds this enigmatic lady.