On Sunday, June 18 1699, almost a quarter of Paris flocked to see the beheading of one of the city's most beautiful noblewoman. Madame Ticquet (1657-1699.)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ang%C3%A9lique-Nicole\_Carlier
THE ORNAMENT OF PARIS
Both of her parents died when she was very young. At the age of 15, this reputed “masterpiece of nature,” inherited nearly half of 1 million crowns of inheritance, a huge sum of money in the 17th century. Kind, witty, and agreeable, she was the most sought after woman in Paris in her youth and was popularly known as the "Ornament of Paris." She fell in love with a older man, Claude Ticquet, a respected judge of the high court of Paris nearly 30 years her senior and became his wife at the age of 16 because she loved him.
Three years later after the marriage and the birth of 2 children it turned out her husband had lied both about his family's fortunes as well as his character. In truth, even the huge amount of dowry he supposedly gave her to win her hand was actually a from loan he took. In fact, Mr. Ticquet had no money at all and was loaded with vast amount of gambling debts. In order to pay for the huge loan he secretively stole from his wife's inheritance after the marriage and made her his debt's guarentor. Mr. Ticquet was so extremely in debt that Angelique was threatened to spent half of her inheritance money just to cover for his old gambling debts.
THE BROKEN MARRIAGE
But Mr. Ticquet also proved he was both controlling and extremely jealous. Needless to say that the marriage was broken by her husband's lies. However because Catholic France forbid divorce they were forced to live together. When some time later she fell in love with one of France's dashing generals, the Count de Montgeorges. Mr. Ticquet locked his wife in their mansion day and night and forbid her from exiting the house. She was imprisoned in her own house for 3 years, while every day, Mr. Ticquet was the only one to carry the house key all time with him. Despairing at last of unable to get rid of either her husband nor break away from his control, Madame Ticquet engaged the services of her porter and that of a freelance assassin, and on the evening of April 8, 1699, these two assassins ambushed Claude Ticquet and shot him.
However, miraculously, Mr. Ticquet survived. All of the bullets that struck near his heart was non fatal. And soon people called his miraculous survival a miracle and a providence from God. Of his enemies, he said, “I have none but my own wife.” Madame Ticquet was immediately arrested, and although many nobles begged for her mercy, including her lover, even that of her husband, the King Louis XIV insisted upon her death, warning that lest Madame Ticquet's head should drop, no husband in France could feel safe in his house.
A CELEBRATED EXECUTION
On Sunday, June 18 1699, hundreds of thousands crowded the streets and windows. Nearly a quarter of the whole city. Many of the houses overlooking the scaffold before the great City Hall were well rented in advance to rich patrons so that watchers could see her beheading with their friends and families. Some of the residents were paid as much as equal to 4-5 years of rent for that afternoon alone. The 42 year old Madame Ticquet came humbly, dressed in white, then mounted on the scaffold barefeet with the "imposing and majestic step which had always been admired in her."
When the 18 year old headsman Sanson strode before her to help her up, she thanked him and kissed his hands with her lips to show that she did not hold him in disgust nor horror. She knelt on the platform, said a short prayer, and even kissed the very block where she would lay her head. The infatuated the headsman was so nervous it took 3 (some sources say 5) strokes to stuck off the head which had once turned so many princes and dukes.
A SHAMEFUL EXHIBITION
Unfortunately, this was not the end of the ordeal. According to the legal custom of the time, the severed head of the woman suffered the discrace of been gibbeted before the whole city, placed before the City Hall of Paris. “Never was there such an exquisite thing” than Madame Ticquet’s severed head, one of her female friends discomfitingly enthused when it was impaled so that women everywhere could learn from her horrible example.
It was also left on the scaffold a long time according to the contemporaries: "in order that the people might have the gratification of seeing it."
Her husband collected all of her wealth as well as gained full rights over her children.
The execution of Madame Ticquet: as related by Podcaster Dan Carlin:
https://youtu.be/5oRv4NZzBKw?t=13522
https://www.executedtoday.com/2013/06/19/1699-madame-tiquet/