A political cartoon depicts an agent of this king “producing…evidence against certain persons” by throwing up on them from a platform. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this king who created the Secret du Roi (“seh-CRAY du hwah”) to support his private interests that ran counter to official foreign policy. This king also supported his father-in-law Stanisław Leszczyński (“STAHN-ee-swahf lesh-CHEEN-ski”) during the War of Polish Succession.
ANSWER: Louis XV (“the fifteenth”) [prompt on Louis]
[10h] As a member of the Secret du Roi, this dragoon infiltrated the court of Empress Elizabeth under the name Lia de Beaumont. This possibly transgender aristocrat spent the last 33 years of their life presenting as a woman.
ANSWER: Chevalier d’Éon (“sheh-vahl-YAY day-OHN”) [or Chevalière d’Éon; or Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d’Éon de Beaumont; or Charlotte-Geneviève-Louise-Augusta-Andréa-Timothéa d’Éon de Beaumont]
[10e] Pierre Beaumarchais (“boh-mar-SHAY”), fellow spy and acquaintance of d’Éon, ran supplies to Britain’s enemies in this conflict. Beaumarchais was injured in a carriage accident delivering news of a John Burgoyne loss in this conflict to Paris.
ANSWER: American Revolutionary War [accept American Revolution or American War of Independence]
<Henry Atkins, European History>