Pauline de Tourzel
Encyclopedia
Pauline de Tourzel, was the Daughter of the Marquise de Tourzel, Louise-Félicité-Joséphine de Croŷ d'Havré, the last governess of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
's children, who later, as Comtesse de Bearn, became a lady-in-waiting to the only survivor of the immediate royal family, Madame Royal, Marie Thérèse
. Pauline was present during the final traumatic months of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
, observer to the French Revolution
and survived to see their daughter return twice during the Bourbon Restoration
s.
. She is said to have giggled at the humour of the Comtesse de Provence, dined with the royal family, and was taught billiards by King Louis XVI himself despite not being formally presented at court, much to the horror of Mesdames Tantes Madame Victoire and Madame Sophie. The royal family, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette
, their two children, the king's sister, Madame Elizabeth, the Queen's close friend the Princesse de Lamballe, and Pauline’s mother, the children's governess, fled to safety, seeking refugee with the deputies of the National Assembly
moments before the storming of the Tuileries by a Parisian mob. The Princess de Tarante offered to look after Pauline, who was to stay behind with the other women that still served, whilst her mother went with the royal family to Hôtel de Ville
, seeking refuge with the National Assembly
. Pauline herself suggested that the ladies remaining in the Tuileries illuminated their rooms to prevent the Sans cullotes mistaking them for soldiers and being attacked, rather than attempting to hide in the dark. Pauline rejoined her mother and the royal family at the convent where the assembly had detained them on the following day, escaping the massacre at the Tuileries with only the clothes on her back. Pauline accompanied the Royal family when they were transferred into the Temple Prison where she slept in the kitchen with Madame Elizabeth. On the 19th of August Pauline along with her mother, The Marquise de Tourzel and the Princesse de Lamballe were removed to the La Force Prison
for interrogation, following interogation Pauline was spirited away by a mysterious English gentleman, soon joined by her mother following her acquittal, the Princesse de Lamballe, was not as lucky, and after being found guilty of crimes against the republic, was given to mob, raped, mutilated and massacred.
, convincing the shy young boy that it was all part of a wonderful game of soldiers. During the royal families refuge with the deputies of The National Assembly
he cried constantly worrying about the fate of his beloved Pauline following the massacre at the Tuileries, only ceasing when they were reunited at the convent.
following the Bourbon restoration
. Pauline became to Marie Thérèse
and went with her to the graves of her parents Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
, She accompanied Marie Thérèse
on her trip around France
, to provinces like Bordeaux
but was eventually parted from her on 3 August 1830 following the abdication of Charles X.
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....
's children, who later, as Comtesse de Bearn, became a lady-in-waiting to the only survivor of the immediate royal family, Madame Royal, Marie Thérèse
Marie Thérèse
Marie Thérèse or Marie-Thérèse may refer to:* Marie-Thérèse Assiga Ahanda, Cameroonian novelist and chemist* Marie-Thérèse Colimon-Hall , Haitian writer* Marie-Thérèse de Subligny , French ballerina...
. Pauline was present during the final traumatic months of Louis XVI and 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....
, observer to the French Revolution
French 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 survived to see their daughter return twice during the Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
s.
Experiences during the Revolution
Following her mother's appointment as governess to the children of France, Pauline lived intimately with the royal family at the Tuileries PalaceTuileries Palace
The Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
. She is said to have giggled at the humour of the Comtesse de Provence, dined with the royal family, and was taught billiards by King Louis XVI himself despite not being formally presented at court, much to the horror of Mesdames Tantes Madame Victoire and Madame Sophie. The royal family, Louis XVI, 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....
, their two children, the king's sister, Madame Elizabeth, the Queen's close friend the Princesse de Lamballe, and Pauline’s mother, the children's governess, fled to safety, seeking refugee with the deputies of the National Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
moments before the storming of the Tuileries by a Parisian mob. The Princess de Tarante offered to look after Pauline, who was to stay behind with the other women that still served, whilst her mother went with the royal family to Hôtel de Ville
Hôtel de Ville, Paris
The Hôtel de Ville |City Hall]]) in :Paris, France, is the building housing the City of Paris's administration. Standing on the place de l'Hôtel de Ville in the city's IVe arrondissement, it has been the location of the municipality of Paris since 1357...
, seeking refuge with the National Assembly
National Assembly (French Revolution)
During the French Revolution, the National Assembly , which existed from June 17 to July 9, 1789, was a transitional body between the Estates-General and the National Constituent Assembly.-Background:...
. Pauline herself suggested that the ladies remaining in the Tuileries illuminated their rooms to prevent the Sans cullotes mistaking them for soldiers and being attacked, rather than attempting to hide in the dark. Pauline rejoined her mother and the royal family at the convent where the assembly had detained them on the following day, escaping the massacre at the Tuileries with only the clothes on her back. Pauline accompanied the Royal family when they were transferred into the Temple Prison where she slept in the kitchen with Madame Elizabeth. On the 19th of August Pauline along with her mother, The Marquise de Tourzel and the Princesse de Lamballe were removed to the La Force Prison
La Force Prison
La Force Prison was a French prison located in the Rue du Roi de Sicile, what is now the 4th arrondissement of Paris.Originally the private residence of the Duke of la Force, the structure was converted into a prison in 1780....
for interrogation, following interogation Pauline was spirited away by a mysterious English gentleman, soon joined by her mother following her acquittal, the Princesse de Lamballe, was not as lucky, and after being found guilty of crimes against the republic, was given to mob, raped, mutilated and massacred.
Relationship With The Dauphin, Louis-Charles
Pauline de Tourzel was adored by the dauphin Louis-Charles, who found in her a more playful alternative to his Governess, her mother, the Marquise de Tourzel, whom he was to nicknamed Madame Severe, the two were said to play endless games during the families house arrest in the Tuileries. Pauline was crucial in persuading the young daupin to be dressed in girls clothes for the Royal Families flight to VarennesFlight to Varennes
The Flight to Varennes was a significant episode in the French Revolution during which King Louis XVI of France, his wife Marie Antoinette, and their immediate family attempted unsuccessfully to escape from Paris in order to initiate a counter-revolution...
, convincing the shy young boy that it was all part of a wonderful game of soldiers. During the royal families refuge with the deputies of The National Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
he cried constantly worrying about the fate of his beloved Pauline following the massacre at the Tuileries, only ceasing when they were reunited at the convent.
Relationsip with Madame Royale, Marie Thérèse
During her time in both the Tuileries and later the Temple Prison, Pauline developed an intimate friendship with Marie Antoinette’s eldest daughter whom was only a few years her junior. She continue to visit Marie Thérèse throughout her confinement in the Temple Prison and continued to write to her during her exile, sending her a flower from the grave of her parents. Pauline and Marie Thérèse were reunited on 39 April 1814 at the Palace of CompiegneChâteau de Compiègne
The Castle of Compiègne is a French château, a royal residence built for Louis XV and restored by Napoleon. Compiègne was one of three seats of royal government, the others being Versailles and Fontainebleau...
following the Bourbon restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
. Pauline became to Marie Thérèse
Marie Thérèse
Marie Thérèse or Marie-Thérèse may refer to:* Marie-Thérèse Assiga Ahanda, Cameroonian novelist and chemist* Marie-Thérèse Colimon-Hall , Haitian writer* Marie-Thérèse de Subligny , French ballerina...
and went with her to the graves of her parents Louis XVI and 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....
, She accompanied Marie Thérèse
Marie Thérèse
Marie Thérèse or Marie-Thérèse may refer to:* Marie-Thérèse Assiga Ahanda, Cameroonian novelist and chemist* Marie-Thérèse Colimon-Hall , Haitian writer* Marie-Thérèse de Subligny , French ballerina...
on her trip around France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to provinces like Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
but was eventually parted from her on 3 August 1830 following the abdication of Charles X.