The Ladoux Mystery: Who framed Mata Hari?

Mata Hari's handler was himself accused of being a German agent. By Alan Bardos.

Mata Hari by Léopold-Émile Reutlinger in 1906

Marguerite Zelle MacLeod, better known as Mata Hari was a sensation in the last years of the ‘Belle Epoque’ with her wild and exotic dances. However it was her espionage activities that have ensured her name is a household word over a hundred years after her execution in 1917 as a spy. The question as to whether she was actually a double agent is still a contentious issue and may never be resolved.

By 1914 Mata Hari’s popularity had begun to decline in Paris, she had to cast her net further afield and rely more on the favour of rich and powerful men to support her lavish lifestyle. It was this that many of her biographers believe she was ultimately judged on.