Gabrielle de Polastron, duchesse de Polignac
Encyclopedia
Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchess of Polignac (8 September 1749 – 9 December 1793) was the favourite
of Marie Antoinette
, whom she first met when she was presented at the Palace of Versailles
in 1775, the year after Marie Antoinette became the Queen of France. She was considered one of the great beauties of pre-Revolutionary high society, but her extravagance and exclusivity earned her many enemies.
, Venerque
and Grépiac
, and Jeanne Charlotte Hérault. As was customary with aristocrats, most of whom bore more than one Christian name, she was generally known by the last of her names (Gabrielle). She was born into a family of ancient aristocratic lineage, however by the time of Gabrielle's birth, despite their exalted ancestry, the family were encumbered by many debts and their lifestyle was far from luxurious.
Whilst Gabrielle was still an infant, her parents moved to the family château of Noueilles, in the province of Languedoc
in southern France. At the age of three, she lost her mother and her welfare was therefore entrusted to a female relative. In this case, it was an aunt, who arranged for her to receive a convent education.
At the age of sixteen, Gabrielle was betrothed to Jules François Armand, comte de Polignac, marquis de Mancini
(1746-1817), whom she married on 7 July 1767, a few months short of her eighteenth birthday. Jules de Polignac's family had a similarly "well-bred" ancestry to Gabrielle's, and they were in equally uncomfortable financial straits. At the time of his marriage, he was serving in the Régiment de Royal Dragons ("1er régiment de dragons"), on an annual salary of 4,000 livres
. Within a few years of the marriage, Jules and Gabrielle had two children: a daughter, Aglaé, and a son. Two more sons followed several years later, including Jules, prince de Polignac
who became the prime minister of France in 1829, under Charles X
.
Compiling the contemporary accounts of her, one modern historian has summarised her physical appearance as: -
"Her particular freshness of appearance [gave] an impression of "utter naturalness" ... with her cloud of dark hair, her big eyes, her neat nose and pretty pearly teeth, [she] was generally likened to a Madonna by Raphael."
, she came with her husband and was presented at a formal reception in the Hall of Mirrors in 1775, at which time she was formally presented to the Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette, who was instantly "dazzled" by her, and invited her to move permanently to Versailles. The cost of maintaining oneself at the court of Versailles was ruinous and Gabrielle replied that her husband did not have the money to finance a permanent move to the palace. Determined to keep her new favourite by her side, the Queen agreed to settle the family's many outstanding debts and to find an appointment for Gabrielle's husband.
Once she was installed in the palace, near the Queen's apartments, Gabrielle also won the friendship of the king's youngest brother the comte d'Artois
and the approval of King Louis XVI himself, who was grateful for her calming influence on his wife, encouraging their friendship. She was, however, resented by other members of the royal entourage, particularly the queen's confessor and her chief political adviser, the Austrian ambassador. In a letter to the Queen's mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria
, the ambassador wrote: "It is almost unexampled that in so short a time, the royal favour should have brought such overwhelming advantages to a family."
Charismatic and beautiful, Gabrielle became the undisputed leader of the queen's exclusive circle, ensuring that few entered without her approval. She was considered by many of her friends to be elegant, sophisticated, charming and entertaining. The entire Polignac family benefited enormously from the queen's considerable generosity, but their increasing wealth and lavish lifestyle outraged many aristocratic families, who resented their dominance at Court. Ultimately, the queen's favouritism towards the Polignac family was one of the many causes which fueled Marie-Antoinette's unpopularity with some of her husband's subjects (especially Parisians) and members of the politically-liberal nobility. In 1780, her husband was given the title of duc de Polignac, thus making her duchesse, a further source of irritation to the courtiers.
By the late 1780s, thousands of pornographic
pamphlets alleged that Gabrielle was the queen's lesbian
lover, and although there was no evidence to back up these accusations they did immeasurable damage to the prestige of the monarchy, especially given the deep-rooted suspicion of homosexuality held by the bourgeoisie and urban working-classes at the time.
It has been suggested by several historians that Gabrielle's extravagance has been greatly exaggerated and point out that, during her fourteen-year residency at Versailles, she spent as much as Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour
, had spent in one. Others have contended that to some extent she deserved her negative reputation because, despite the inaccuracies of the claims that she was sexually disreputable, other criticisms of her were valid - that she was cold, self-centred, self-indulgent and masked a love of gossip and intrigue behind a sweet-toned voice and flawless manners. This argument was particularly championed by the historian, Stefan Zweig
, who wrote:
, had to resign her post due to a scandal caused by her husband's bankruptcy. The Queen replaced the princess with Gabrielle. This appointment generated outrage at court, where it was felt Gabrielle's social status was insufficient for a post of that magnitude.
As a result of her new position as Gouvernante des Enfants de France, Gabrielle was given a thirteen-room apartment for herself in the palace. Technically, this was within the acceptable limits of etiquette, but the size of the apartment was unprecedented, particularly in a place as overpopulated as Versailles. Royal governesses had previously been quartered in four or five room apartments. Gabrielle was even given her own cottage in Marie-Antoinette's favorite pastoral refuge, the Hameau de la reine, built in the 1780s on the grounds of the Petit Trianon
in the park of Versailles.
Gabrielle's marriage was cordial, if not successful; in other words, it was typical of aristocratic arranged marriages. For many years, she was apparently in love with the captain of the Royal Guard, Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, Comte de Vaudreuil, although it was felt by many of her friends that Vaudreuil was too domineering and too uncouth for the kind of society in which Gabrielle now moved. It was rumored at Versailles that Gabrielle's youngest child was actually fathered by Vaudreuil. However, the exact nature of Gabrielle's relationship with Vaudreuil has been debated by some historians, some feeling it was almost certainly not a sexual liaison. This theory has recently been resurrected by Catholic novelist and commentator, Elena Maria Vidal
. Despite the claims that they were lovers, though, Gabrielle showed no hesitation in distancing herself from Vaudreuil whenever she felt her own social position was being threatened by the Queen's dislike of the manipulative courtier. There are almost no letters surviving from the couple. There are several possible reasons for this. The couple may not have been sufficiently close enough in reality to write to each other when separated, or they may just have been very careful in masking their communications for political reasons. Their letters may have been subsequently destroyed either by themselves or others for precaution's sake.
Historians are thus currently divided about whether or not Gabrielle and the comte de Vaudreuil were lovers.
Note: Source for children's birthdates Gastel Family Database
was born. The queen was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the ambition of her favourites, especially when they championed a politician whom the queen herself despised. She confided to another lady-in-waiting, Henriette Campan, that she was "suffering acute dissatisfaction" over the Polignacs - "Her Majesty observed to me that when a sovereign raises up favourites in her court she raises up despots against herself". Eventually, Gabrielle felt Marie-Antoinette's displeasure and decided to visit friends in England
, particularly Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
, who was the leader of London high society and one of Gabrielle's closest friends. During her time in England, she earned the nickname "Little Po," due to her delicate constitution.
in July 1789 saw the queen and the duchesse de Polignac become close again. Politically, Gabrielle and her friends supported the ultra-monarchist movement in Versailles, with Gabrielle becoming increasingly important in royalist intrigues as the summer progressed, usually in partnership with her friend and the king's youngest brother, the comte d'Artois.
The marquis de Bombelles, a diplomat and politician, remembered her ceaseless work to promote hardline responses against the emergent revolution. Together with Bombelles' godfather, the ex-diplomat and politician baron de Breteuil
, and the comte d'Artois, Gabrielle persuaded Marie-Antoinette to help work against the king's liberal chief minister, Jacques Necker
. However, without the necessary military support to crush the insurrection, Necker's dismissal fuelled the already-serious violence in Paris, culminating in the attack on the Bastille
fortress.
After the storming of the Bastille
on 14 July 1789, all the members of the Polignac family went into exile. On Louis XVI's express orders, the comte d'Artois
left, as did Breteuil; Gabrielle went with her family to Switzerland
, where she kept in contact with the Queen through letters. After she had left, the care of the royal children was entrusted to the Marquise de Tourzel.
as an alternative cause of death, but no specific mention of her disease was made in the various allegorical pamphlets which showed the Angel of Death descending to take the soul of the still-beautiful duchesse de Polignac. Her beauty and early death became metaphors for the demise of the old regime, at least in early pamphlets and in subsequent family correspondence, the duchess's beauty was a much-emphasised point.
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Gabrielle was the mother of Jules, prince de Polignac
, who became Prime Minister for Charles X (the former comte d'Artois) in 1829. She was also the mother of Aglaé de Polignac, duchesse de Guiche, who died in 1803 in an accidental fire. Two of her grandsons were Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac
and Prince Edmond de Polignac
. Her descendants can also be found in France and in Russia, where her granddaughter, daughter of "Guichette", married a nobleman, Aleksandr Lvovich Davydov.
Gabrielle de Polastron has left her mark in history and it can be seen in history books, novels, movies and other media. In 1979, she was one of the major characters (albeit a scheming one) in "The Rose of Versailles
", a shōujo manga/anime created by Riyoko Ikeda
. She was portrayed by Rose Byrne
in the 2006 film Marie Antoinette
.
She is the great-great-great-great grandmother of Princess Caroline
, Prince Albert
, and Princess Stéphanie
of Monaco
and that she embodied the exclusivity, the obliviousness and the selfish extravagance of the ruling class. However, more sympathetic historians, such as Pierre de Nolhac and the marquis de Ségur, agree that most of the problems originated with her entourage and that she was certainly no worse than any of some of the aristocrats or favourites who had preceded her at Versailles.
Assessments of her character aside, it is generally agreed that she was one of the key figures in the ultra-monarchist movement throughout the early summer of 1789, acting under the influence of her friend, the comte d'Artois.
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
, whom she first met when she was presented at the Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
in 1775, the year after Marie Antoinette became the Queen of France. She was considered one of the great beauties of pre-Revolutionary high society, but her extravagance and exclusivity earned her many enemies.
Biography
Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron was born in Paris in the reign of King Louis XV. Her parents were Jean François Gabriel, comte de Polastron, seigneur de NoueillesNoueilles
Noueilles is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Venerque
Venerque
Venerque is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
and Grépiac
Grépiac
Grépiac is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, and Jeanne Charlotte Hérault. As was customary with aristocrats, most of whom bore more than one Christian name, she was generally known by the last of her names (Gabrielle). She was born into a family of ancient aristocratic lineage, however by the time of Gabrielle's birth, despite their exalted ancestry, the family were encumbered by many debts and their lifestyle was far from luxurious.
Whilst Gabrielle was still an infant, her parents moved to the family château of Noueilles, in the province of Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
in southern France. At the age of three, she lost her mother and her welfare was therefore entrusted to a female relative. In this case, it was an aunt, who arranged for her to receive a convent education.
At the age of sixteen, Gabrielle was betrothed to Jules François Armand, comte de Polignac, marquis de Mancini
Mancini family
Mancini was one of the oldest families of Roman nobility. Their titles and fiefs were numerous: Duke of Nevers and Donzy, Prince of Vergagne and of the Holy Roman Empire with the treatment of Serene Highness, French Peer, Spanish Grandee, Marquis of Fusignano, Count of Montefortino, Viscount of...
(1746-1817), whom she married on 7 July 1767, a few months short of her eighteenth birthday. Jules de Polignac's family had a similarly "well-bred" ancestry to Gabrielle's, and they were in equally uncomfortable financial straits. At the time of his marriage, he was serving in the Régiment de Royal Dragons ("1er régiment de dragons"), on an annual salary of 4,000 livres
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
. Within a few years of the marriage, Jules and Gabrielle had two children: a daughter, Aglaé, and a son. Two more sons followed several years later, including Jules, prince de Polignac
Jules, prince de Polignac
Prince Jules de Polignac, 3rd Duke of Polignac , was a French statesman. He played a part in ultra-royalist reaction after the Revolution...
who became the prime minister of France in 1829, under Charles X
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
.
Appearance
Most surviving portraits show her in a generally pretty or attractive light. One historian said that in her portraits by Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun, Gabrielle generally looks "like some harvested and luscious fruit." - most of her contemporaries were far more enthusiastic about her appearance than surviving portraits would lead modern observers to suspect. She had dark brunette hair, very pale white skin and, perhaps most unusually, lilac or violet-coloured eyes.Compiling the contemporary accounts of her, one modern historian has summarised her physical appearance as: -
"Her particular freshness of appearance [gave] an impression of "utter naturalness" ... with her cloud of dark hair, her big eyes, her neat nose and pretty pearly teeth, [she] was generally likened to a Madonna by Raphael."
Versailles
When her sister-in-law invited her to the Court at VersaillesPalace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
, she came with her husband and was presented at a formal reception in the Hall of Mirrors in 1775, at which time she was formally presented to the Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette, who was instantly "dazzled" by her, and invited her to move permanently to Versailles. The cost of maintaining oneself at the court of Versailles was ruinous and Gabrielle replied that her husband did not have the money to finance a permanent move to the palace. Determined to keep her new favourite by her side, the Queen agreed to settle the family's many outstanding debts and to find an appointment for Gabrielle's husband.
Once she was installed in the palace, near the Queen's apartments, Gabrielle also won the friendship of the king's youngest brother the comte d'Artois
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
and the approval of King Louis XVI himself, who was grateful for her calming influence on his wife, encouraging their friendship. She was, however, resented by other members of the royal entourage, particularly the queen's confessor and her chief political adviser, the Austrian ambassador. In a letter to the Queen's mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, the ambassador wrote: "It is almost unexampled that in so short a time, the royal favour should have brought such overwhelming advantages to a family."
Charismatic and beautiful, Gabrielle became the undisputed leader of the queen's exclusive circle, ensuring that few entered without her approval. She was considered by many of her friends to be elegant, sophisticated, charming and entertaining. The entire Polignac family benefited enormously from the queen's considerable generosity, but their increasing wealth and lavish lifestyle outraged many aristocratic families, who resented their dominance at Court. Ultimately, the queen's favouritism towards the Polignac family was one of the many causes which fueled Marie-Antoinette's unpopularity with some of her husband's subjects (especially Parisians) and members of the politically-liberal nobility. In 1780, her husband was given the title of duc de Polignac, thus making her duchesse, a further source of irritation to the courtiers.
By the late 1780s, thousands of pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
pamphlets alleged that Gabrielle was the queen's lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
lover, and although there was no evidence to back up these accusations they did immeasurable damage to the prestige of the monarchy, especially given the deep-rooted suspicion of homosexuality held by the bourgeoisie and urban working-classes at the time.
It has been suggested by several historians that Gabrielle's extravagance has been greatly exaggerated and point out that, during her fourteen-year residency at Versailles, she spent as much as Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour
Madame de Pompadour
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court, and was the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to her death.-Biography:...
, had spent in one. Others have contended that to some extent she deserved her negative reputation because, despite the inaccuracies of the claims that she was sexually disreputable, other criticisms of her were valid - that she was cold, self-centred, self-indulgent and masked a love of gossip and intrigue behind a sweet-toned voice and flawless manners. This argument was particularly championed by the historian, Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most famous writers in the world.- Biography :...
, who wrote:
"Not even Madame de Maintenon, not even the Pompadour, cost as much as this favourite, this angel, with downcast eyes, this modest and gentle Polignac. Those who were not themselves swept into the whirlpool, stood at the marge contemplating it with astonishment ... [as] the Queen's hand was invisibly guided by the violet-eyed, the lovely, the gentle Polignac."
Governess of the Children of France
In 1782, the Governess to the Children of France, Victoire de Rohan, princesse de Guéméné and wife of Henri Louis de RohanHenri Louis, Prince of Guéméné
Henri Louis de Rohan, Prince of Guéméné , was a French courtier and the penultimate Grand Chamberlain of France.-Biography:...
, had to resign her post due to a scandal caused by her husband's bankruptcy. The Queen replaced the princess with Gabrielle. This appointment generated outrage at court, where it was felt Gabrielle's social status was insufficient for a post of that magnitude.
Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon is a small château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.-Design and construction:...
in the park of Versailles.
Gabrielle's marriage was cordial, if not successful; in other words, it was typical of aristocratic arranged marriages. For many years, she was apparently in love with the captain of the Royal Guard, Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, Comte de Vaudreuil, although it was felt by many of her friends that Vaudreuil was too domineering and too uncouth for the kind of society in which Gabrielle now moved. It was rumored at Versailles that Gabrielle's youngest child was actually fathered by Vaudreuil. However, the exact nature of Gabrielle's relationship with Vaudreuil has been debated by some historians, some feeling it was almost certainly not a sexual liaison. This theory has recently been resurrected by Catholic novelist and commentator, Elena Maria Vidal
Elena Maria Vidal
Elena Maria Vidal is a historical novelist and noted blogger living in Easton, Maryland. She was born in Florence, Oregon and grew up in Frederick, Maryland...
. Despite the claims that they were lovers, though, Gabrielle showed no hesitation in distancing herself from Vaudreuil whenever she felt her own social position was being threatened by the Queen's dislike of the manipulative courtier. There are almost no letters surviving from the couple. There are several possible reasons for this. The couple may not have been sufficiently close enough in reality to write to each other when separated, or they may just have been very careful in masking their communications for political reasons. Their letters may have been subsequently destroyed either by themselves or others for precaution's sake.
Historians are thus currently divided about whether or not Gabrielle and the comte de Vaudreuil were lovers.
Children
- Aglaé Louise Françoise Gabrielle de Polignac (7 May 1768, Paris; 30 March 1803 in EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
).- Married the duc de Gramont et GuicheDuc de GramontThe Duke of Gramont is a senior French peerage. It was created in 1643. The dukedom also holds the titles Peer of France, Prince de Bidache, Sovereign of Bidache, Count of Guiche and Louvigny, Viscount of Aster, Baron d'Andouins and of Hagetmau...
. Nicknamed Guichette by her family. Married at Versailles 11 July 1780
- Married the duc de Gramont et Guiche
- Armand Jules Marie Héracle de Polignac, duc de Polignac (11 January 1771, Paris; 1 March 1847 in Paris). Second duc de Polignac
- Jules, prince de PolignacJules, prince de PolignacPrince Jules de Polignac, 3rd Duke of Polignac , was a French statesman. He played a part in ultra-royalist reaction after the Revolution...
, prince de Polignac (10 November 1780, Paris; 30 March 1847 in Saint-Germain-en-LayeSaint-Germain-en-LayeSaint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...
). Third duc de Polignac. Married first Barbara Campbell (1788-1819); second Mary Charlotte Parkyns (1792-1864); was French Prime Minister from 1829-1830, under the government of Gabrielle's friend, Charles XCharles X of FranceCharles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
, the former comte d'Artois. - Camille Henri Melchior de Polignac, comte de Polignac (27 December 1781 in Versailles; 2 February 1855 in FontainebleauFontainebleauFontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
). Married Marie Charlotte Calixte Alphonsine Le Vassor de la Touche (1791-1861)
Note: Source for children's birthdates Gastel Family Database
In England
Perhaps due to the Queen's intense dislike of the comte de Vaudreuil, whom she found rude and irritating, Gabrielle's influence over Marie-Antoinette temporarily waned after 1785, when the queen's second sonLouis XVII of France
Louis XVII , from birth to 1789 known as Louis-Charles, Duke of Normandy; then from 1789 to 1791 as Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France; and from 1791 to 1793 as Louis-Charles, Prince Royal of France, was the son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette...
was born. The queen was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the ambition of her favourites, especially when they championed a politician whom the queen herself despised. She confided to another lady-in-waiting, Henriette Campan, that she was "suffering acute dissatisfaction" over the Polignacs - "Her Majesty observed to me that when a sovereign raises up favourites in her court she raises up despots against herself". Eventually, Gabrielle felt Marie-Antoinette's displeasure and decided to visit friends in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, particularly Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire , formerly Lady Georgiana Spencer, was the first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, and mother of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Her father, the 1st Earl Spencer, was a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Her niece was Lady Caroline Lamb...
, who was the leader of London high society and one of Gabrielle's closest friends. During her time in England, she earned the nickname "Little Po," due to her delicate constitution.
Revolution
The months leading up to the outbreak of the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
in July 1789 saw the queen and the duchesse de Polignac become close again. Politically, Gabrielle and her friends supported the ultra-monarchist movement in Versailles, with Gabrielle becoming increasingly important in royalist intrigues as the summer progressed, usually in partnership with her friend and the king's youngest brother, the comte d'Artois.
The marquis de Bombelles, a diplomat and politician, remembered her ceaseless work to promote hardline responses against the emergent revolution. Together with Bombelles' godfather, the ex-diplomat and politician baron de Breteuil
Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier de Breteuil
Louis Charles Auguste le Tonnelier, baron de Breteuil, baron de Preuilly was a French aristocrat, diplomat, statesman and politician...
, and the comte d'Artois, Gabrielle persuaded Marie-Antoinette to help work against the king's liberal chief minister, Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker was a French statesman of Swiss birth and finance minister of Louis XVI, a post he held in the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.-Early life:...
. However, without the necessary military support to crush the insurrection, Necker's dismissal fuelled the already-serious violence in Paris, culminating in the attack on the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
fortress.
After the storming of the Bastille
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
on 14 July 1789, all the members of the Polignac family went into exile. On Louis XVI's express orders, the comte d'Artois
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
left, as did Breteuil; Gabrielle went with her family to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where she kept in contact with the Queen through letters. After she had left, the care of the royal children was entrusted to the Marquise de Tourzel.
Later life
Gabrielle developed a terminal illness while living in Switzerland, although she had arguably been in poor health for several years. Most historians have concluded that she died of cancer. She died in Austria in December 1793, shortly after hearing of the execution of Marie-Antoinette. Her family simply announced that she had died as a result of heartbreak and suffering. Contradictory royalist reports of her death suggested consumptionTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
as an alternative cause of death, but no specific mention of her disease was made in the various allegorical pamphlets which showed the Angel of Death descending to take the soul of the still-beautiful duchesse de Polignac. Her beauty and early death became metaphors for the demise of the old regime, at least in early pamphlets and in subsequent family correspondence, the duchess's beauty was a much-emphasised point.
Legacy
Jules, prince de Polignac
Prince Jules de Polignac, 3rd Duke of Polignac , was a French statesman. He played a part in ultra-royalist reaction after the Revolution...
, who became Prime Minister for Charles X (the former comte d'Artois) in 1829. She was also the mother of Aglaé de Polignac, duchesse de Guiche, who died in 1803 in an accidental fire. Two of her grandsons were Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac
Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac
Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac was a French nobleman, scholar and soldier who joined the Confederate States Army at the outbreak of the American Civil War and became major general before the end of the war...
and Prince Edmond de Polignac
Prince Edmond de Polignac
Prince Edmond Melchior Jean Marie de Polignac was a French composer.- Heritage, prison sentence :Edmond was a descendant of one of the more illustrious families of France. His grandmother, the duchesse de Polignac, had been the close friend of Queen Marie-Antoinette...
. Her descendants can also be found in France and in Russia, where her granddaughter, daughter of "Guichette", married a nobleman, Aleksandr Lvovich Davydov.
Gabrielle de Polastron has left her mark in history and it can be seen in history books, novels, movies and other media. In 1979, she was one of the major characters (albeit a scheming one) in "The Rose of Versailles
The Rose of Versailles
, also known as Lady Oscar or La Rose de Versailles, is one of the best-known titles in shōjo manga and a media franchise created by Riyoko Ikeda. It has been adapted into several Takarazuka Revue musicals, as well an anime television series, produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and broadcast by the...
", a shōujo manga/anime created by Riyoko Ikeda
Riyoko Ikeda
is a Japanese manga artist and singer. She is included in the Year 24 Group. She was one of the most popular Japanese comic artists in the 1970s, being best known for The Rose of Versailles.- Biography :...
. She was portrayed by Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne
Mary Rose Byrne is an Australian actress.Byrne made her screen debut in 1994 with a small role in the film Dallas Doll...
in the 2006 film Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette (2006 film)
Marie Antoinette is a 2006 biographical film, written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is very loosely based on the life of the Queen consort in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design...
.
She is the great-great-great-great grandmother of Princess Caroline
Caroline, Princess of Hanover
Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco , formally styled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover , has been heiress presumptive to the throne of Monaco since 2005, a position which she previously held from 1957 to 1958.She is the wife of...
, Prince Albert
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and the American actress Grace Kelly...
, and Princess Stéphanie
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, Countess of Polignac is a member of the princely family of Monaco. She is the youngest child of Grace, Princess of Monaco and Rainier III of Monaco, and the sister of Albert II of Monaco and Princess Caroline...
of Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
Critics
Her critics among historians have argued that the duchesse de Polignac typified the aristocratic hangers-on at the court of Versailles before the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and that she embodied the exclusivity, the obliviousness and the selfish extravagance of the ruling class. However, more sympathetic historians, such as Pierre de Nolhac and the marquis de Ségur, agree that most of the problems originated with her entourage and that she was certainly no worse than any of some of the aristocrats or favourites who had preceded her at Versailles.
Assessments of her character aside, it is generally agreed that she was one of the key figures in the ultra-monarchist movement throughout the early summer of 1789, acting under the influence of her friend, the comte d'Artois.
Further reading
- Jones, Colin (2002) The great nation : France from Louis XV to Napoleon, London : Allen Lane, ISBN 0-7139-9039-2
- Zweig, Stefan [1938] (1988) Marie Antoinette : the portrait of an average woman, Paul, E. and Paul, C. (transl.), Cassell biographies, London : Cassell, ISBN 0-304-31476-5