A sequel to “Marguerite de Valois” and “Chicot the Jester,” "The Forty-Five Guardsmen" is a historical novel written by Alexandre Dumas. It was first published in 1847 and is set in France during the reign of King Henry III in the late 16th century.

The story follows the adventures and romantic escapades of the fictional characters Diane de Méridor, Countess of Monsoreau, and Louis de Clermont, a young nobleman and one of the forty-five guardsmen of the title. Diane is unhappily married to the powerful Count of Monsoreau, but she falls in love with Louis and they engage in a passionate affair.