The Chevalier d’Eon was a highly decorated soldier, spy and diplomat in London serving both Louis the Fifteenth and Louis the Sixteenth. She lived just over half of her life as a man and the last several decades as a woman, legally. Although not a musician, I’ve chosen to include the Chevalier d’Eon because of her place in society that granted her access to some of the most famous and interesting musicians and artists of the day. For example, d’Eon’s path would intersect with Joseph de Bologne Chavalier de Saint-George on more than one occasion, one of which will be discussed later.
The Chevalier was born Charles Geneviève Louis Auguste André Timothée d'Éon de Beaumont in the town of Tonnerre, south-east of Paris in the Burgundy Region of France in 1728. A member of a minor noble family, Charles excelled academically specializing in civil law and canon law at the Fiscal Department of Paris. She worked in civil service rising to the position of royal censor for history and literature. This would explain d’Eon’s large collection of books documenting early feminism and the achievements of women throughout history.
After graduation in 1749 she was approached by the French secret service, Le Secret du Roi, to act as a spy in Russia for King Louis the Fifteenth. d’Eon was assigned to be the Ambassador to Russia although she would secretly deliver messages between Louis the Sixteenth and Empress Elizabeth of Russia.
Empress Elizabeth of Russia (reigned 1741-1762) was well-known to throw metamorphosis balls, a weekly occurrence, at Russian Court. At these balls gender norms were turned upside down: men would come dressed as women and women dressed as men. A detailed description is given by Sarah Durn in her article :The Weekly Cross-Dressing Balls of 18th-Century Russian Royalty: How Empresses Used “Metamorphosis” to Show Their Male Courtiers Who’s the Boss,” writing;
The men would be required to wear the stockings, corsets, petticoats (up to five was customary),
ruffled lace sleeves, hoop skirts, and elaborate sack back gowns that, on any other occasion,
the women of court would’ve worn. The women, on the other hand, had to wear men’s embroidered
waistcoats, full-skirted coats, breeches, white silk stockings, shoes with ostentatious buckles,
a powdered wig, and an unwieldy sword.
However, these gatherings were not typical masquerades. The participants in these events would not wear a mask; their true identity was on full display. There was no secrecy or discretion.
It is possible that this was d’Eon’s first experience crossdressing in an open, non judgemental environment. It deserves mentioning the frequency of the metamorphosis balls and how it would have given her ample opportunity to explore the possibility of existing closer to her true gender. Perhaps this is the genesis for the character “ Lia”.
In her article “The Gender Fluidity of the Chevalier d'Éon,” Lydia Figes gathers two references written about the Mademoiselle Chevalier d’Eon, illustrating the polarizing effect that her talents and appearance had on those around her:
..in 1780, the diarist James Boswell wrote “Never before had I beheld a woman whose manners
were so absurd, so masculine, and unsuitable to her sex.” The following year, the Annual Register
wrote: “it must indeed be acknowledged that she is the most extraordinary person of the age...
we have seen no one who has united so many military, political, and literary talents.
The Chevalier fulfilled her assignment as a spy until serving in the French army from 1760 to 1762 in the Seven Years War between France and Britain (1756-1763). There she functioned as Commander of Dragoons until being injured in battle. Her diplomacy skills were well-known and she was dispatched to London in 1762 to help negotiate the Treaty of Paris. The treaty was signed the following year, for which she was awarded the Order of Saint-Louis. By receiving the Order, d’Eon ensured for herself a comfortable pension from the French government and the moniker, “Chevalier”.
In 1763 d’Eon was quickly establishing herself in London. It is no small feat that d’Eon would rise in London society. In the beginning, she publicly presented as both Charles and Lia de Beaumont. The persona “ Lia,” was a French noblewoman originally invented by d’Eon during her time working as a spy in Russia. Not long after it was noticed that the two de Beaumonts were never in the same room together and questions began to circulate about the true nature of d’Eon’s gender (read biological sex).
She was known to spend a fortune on books for her extensive library as well as all the trappings that come with being an 18th century socialite. She moved ahead with her work as a spy inviting important guests and dignitaries to lavish parties where she would import large quantities of wine from the Burgundy region in France. Within six months of taking on the position of ambassador she was fired. A new ambassador was assigned to take her position meaning that the Chevalier would be demoted to secretary and expected to return home to France.
Only d’Eon decided not to go. She felt that her time in England was not finished, that there had been some mistake. She believed that even though she had been relieved of her position as the ambassador she was still a spy for the French cause.
Rather than returning to France, d’Eon retaliated by publishing sensitive material she had collected during her time as ambassador and spy. To the delight of British readers, her book Lettres, Mémoires, et Négociations was published in 1764 exposing secret correspondence between French state officials. She was immediately cast upon the world political stage and received by the British public as a heroine.
However, d’Eon intentionally omitted an enormously important detail from the scandalous publication knowing that it would be a valuable asset to her in the near future. The missing detail was the plan of the French to invade England even though the Paris Treaty had been signed. The Chevalier would use this information to blackmail the king into quietly reinstating her pension. This went on secretly for the next decade until Louis the Fifteenth’s death in May 1774.
As the new king of France, Louis the Sixteenth, was aware of the documents that d’Eon had been holding as collateral against the former king, and, after months of discussion, allowed that if the Chevalier should return the documents that she could now return to France but, at the bequest of d’Eon, as a woman. A royal decree known as The Transaction came down from the new king that d’Eon would be publicly recognized as a woman.
It is worth mentioning the political ramifications that came along with d’Eon’s legal re-gendering. Women were restricted from holding public office or fighting in the military. With her knowledge of corruption in government she could be thought of as a threat. But as a woman, d’Eon’s political agency was all but dissolved.
As mentioned earlier, because of the Chevalier d’Eon's position in society she often rubbed elbows with the intellectual elite. Such an occasion was her chance meeting and subsequent duel with Joseph de Bologne Chevalier de Saint-George and, the reason she has been incuded in this monograph. Is it possible that this chance encounter with the Chevalier d’Eon inspired the Chevalier de Saint-George?
In April 1787, the Chevaliers agreed to a fencing match at Carlton House, a mansion in London best known as a residence of the king. On this trip to London, Bologne stayed with fencing master Domenico Angelo, and fencing expert and owner of the Angelo Fencing Academy. Both d’Eon and Bologne had been earning money by giving fencing demonstrations for some time, not unlike La Maupin. The match was set up for the pleasure of the then-visiting Prince of Wales, members of nobility, and other fencing experts who were aware of Bologne’s reputation as an expert swordsman and curious to confirm if he was indeed as skilled as reported.
The English Chronicle or Universal Evening Post for April 10 described the match:
The most remarkable occurrence of the fencing match at Carleton-house, was the assault
between Messr De St. George and Mademoiselle d'Eon; the latter, though incumbered, as
she humorously declared it herself, with three petticoats, that suited her sex much better
than her spirit, not only parried skilfully all the thrusts of her powerful antagonist, but even
touched him by what is termed a Coup de Temps, which all his dexterity could not ward off.
We hear that a celebrated painter has undertaken to hit off the semblance or attitude of the
hero and heroine, in this very interesting scene. Mademoiselle D'Eon had modesty enough,
on her hitting M. De St. George, to set it down to his complaisance; but the latter candidly
declared, that the thrust was the fairer, that he had done all in his power to ward against it.
A gentleman present assures us that nothing could equal the quickness of the repartee especially
considering that the modern Pallas is nearly in her 60th year, and had to cope with a young man
equally skillful and vigorous.
Bologne returned to Paris and later that same year wrote and produced a relatively successful opera comique called La Fille-Garçon, or“The Girl-Boy” quite possibly inspired by his interaction with the Mademoiselle Chevalier d’Eon. The opera premiered at the Théâtre des Italiens with mixed reviews. Though critics found the libretto to be substandard, they praised the music of Bologne. Unfortunately, the work has been lost.
Mademoiselle Chevalier d’Eon moved back to England in 1785. With the upheaval of the French Revolution and the dissolution of the monarchy, d’Eon’s annual pension ended. She tried to settle debt by selling her famous library although the money wasn’t enough to cover her debts. Now d’Eon’s sole way to earn a living was the fencing demonstrations which she did until 1796 when a serious injury sustained during one of the demonstrations left her unable to continue. With no significant income she was forced to take an apartment with another elderly woman. The two lived together for the next fourteen years.
d’Eon would spend a good deal of the remainder of her life bedridden with illness and injury. In 1805, a bit of a financial reprieve came when a publisher asked d’Eon to write her memoirs, Memoires du Chevalier d’Eon. The memoirs were written but never published until after her death in 1810. Upon the discovery of the death of the Chevalier, her roommate Mrs. Cole went about preparing the body for funeral services. When she undressed the body she was alarmed to find a penis and testicles. A doctor was called in to examine the body and declared that the body was unequivocally male.
Like both Frith and d’Aubigny, d’Eon’s crossdressing intent was not a disguise to mask some criminality. Unlike Frith and d’Aubigny, d’Eon was highly educated and, although dramatic, possessed a sense of restraint and decorum required to function in upper class society. She is one of the most accomplished women of her day as a former spy for the king, decorated soldier, author of fifteen books (mostly) on government finance, diplomat, and negotiator for international peace. The Chevalier had been, at one point during her stay in London, so revered that upon her death in 1810 the ladies’ magazine La Belle Assemblée ran a compassionate biographical sketch in her honor, having gained access to portions of the yet to be published Memoirs of the Chevalier d’Eon.
Next Chapter: Madame Vestris