Milady de Winter

Milady de Winter, often referred to as simply Milady, is a central antagonist in Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel The Three Musketeers. Set in 1625 France, the story follows her work as a spy for Cardinal Richelieu. In the first part of the novel, she is tasked with seducing the English prime minister, the Duke of Buckingham, who is the secret lover of Queen Anne of France. Her mission is to steal two diamonds from a set of studs gifted to the Duke by the Queen, which Richelieu intends to use to blackmail the French monarch.

After d’Artagnan and the other musketeers thwart her efforts to secure the jewels, Milady becomes locked in a persistent conflict with d’Artagnan. This rivalry serves as a primary driving force for much of the second half of the book.