Émilie de Beauharnais
Émilie de Beauharnais, comtesse de Lavalette (1781–1855), was a French court official, dame d'atour to Empress Joséphine of France.
Émilie de Beauharnais | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1781 |
| Died | 1855 |
| Noble family | House of Beauharnais |
| Spouse(s) | Antoine Marie Chamans, comte de Lavalette |
| Father | François VI de Beauharnais |
| Mother | Henriette Pyvart de Chastullé |
Life
She was the daughter of François VI de Beauharnais and Françoise de Beauharnais and thus related to Joséphine. She married Comte Antoine Marie Chamans de Lavalette, in 1798.
She belonged to those called to be appointed when the first ladies-in-waiting were named for Joséphine. In 1804, when Napoleon named himself Emperor of France, and his wife Empress, he also created an Imperial court and had ladies-in-waiting appointed to Empress Josephine. Adélaïde de La Rochefoucauld was made dame d'honneur and de Beauharnais made dame d'atour, while Jeanne Charlotte du Luçay, Madame de Rémusat, Elisabeth Baude de Talhouët, Lauriston, d'Arberg, Marie Antoinette Duchâtel, Sophie de Segur, Séran, Colbert, Savary and Aglaé Louise Auguié Ney, were all made dame du Palais.
When Napoleon divorced Joséphine and married Marie Louise of Austria, in 1809, de Beauharnais retired and was replaced by Jeanne Charlotte du Luçay.
During the Bourbon Restoration, her spouse was sentenced to death, but she helped him escape and was herself imprisoned in 1815–16.
References
- Gilbert Schlogel, Emilie de Lavalette, une légende blessée, Fayard, 2000 (ISBN 2213607664)