Adélaïde de La Rochefoucauld (née de Pyvart de Chastullé; 1769 - 1814), was a French courtier. She served as the principal lady in waiting, or dame d'honneur (Mistress of the Robes), to Empress Joséphine in 1804–09.
She was born in Paris as the heiress of a rich plantation owner from Saint Domingue. Her father was allied to the Beauharnais family, and she married Alexandre, comte de La Rochefoucauld (1767–1841), in Paris on 9 June 1788. She had three sons and one daughter. Her daughter later married Francesco Borghese [fr], a brother-in-law of Pauline Bonaparte, Princess Borghese. She had reportedly been an acquaintance of Josephine since before she became an empress. She was imprisoned during the Terror of Robespierre and had met Josephine soon after they had both been released from prison.
In 1804, when Napoleon made himself Emperor and his wife Empress of France, he created an Imperial court and had ladies-in-waiting appointed to empress Josephine. de La Rochefoucauld was appointed to the position of dame d'honneur to the empress Josephine, which was the highest rank of all ladies-in-waiting, over ranking the dame d'atours, Émilie de Beauharnais, and the dame du palais: Jeanne Charlotte du Lucay, Madame de Rémusat, Elisabeth Baude de Talhouët, Lauriston, d'Arberg, Marie Antoinette Duchâtel, Sophie de Segur, Séran, Colbert, Savary and Aglaé Louise Auguié Ney.
As dame d'honneur it was her task to supervise the ladies-in-waiting, organize the household of the empress, decide about the visits, invitations and presentations. She was described as highly efficient in her task.[1]
Described as a haughty grande dame and as an ancien regime royalist she is said to have cowed the emperor in to silence at times. Napoleon disliked her and called her "a little cripple, as stupid as she is ugly".[2] According to Laure Junot, she never actually enjoyed her position and had to be persuaded by Josephine to accept it.[3] It is noted that she preferred not to use her apartment her position entitled her to at the Imperial palace.[2]
When Josephine was divorced from Napoleon in January 1810, Adélaïde de La Rochefoucauld applied to the emperor to be allowed to continue in her position as dame d'honneur for the next empress, Marie Louise of Austria. Napoleon was however shocked by her request, regarded it as disloyalty toward Josephine, and asked Josephine to dismiss her.[4] She was replaced as the dame d'honneur of Josephine by one of the dames de palais, d'Arenberg, while the post of dame d'honneur of empress Marie Louise went to the Duchess of Montebello.
adélaïde, rochefoucauld, née, pyvart, chastullé, 1769, 1814, french, courtier, served, principal, lady, waiting, dame, honneur, mistress, robes, empress, joséphine, 1804, bornadélaïde, pyvart, chastullé, 1769parisdied1814spouse, alexandre, comte, rochefoucauld. Adelaide de La Rochefoucauld nee de Pyvart de Chastulle 1769 1814 was a French courtier She served as the principal lady in waiting or dame d honneur Mistress of the Robes to Empress Josephine in 1804 09 Adelaide de La RochefoucauldBornAdelaide de Pyvart de Chastulle 1769ParisDied1814Spouse s Alexandre comte de La RochefoucauldIssueAlexandre Jules de La RochefoucauldAdele de La RochefoucauldFatherFrancois Marie Louis Pyvart de Chastulle Comte de ChastulleMotherMarie Madeleine de LaffilardOccupationPremiere dame d honneur to Josephine de BeauharnaisLife editShe was born in Paris as the heiress of a rich plantation owner from Saint Domingue Her father was allied to the Beauharnais family and she married Alexandre comte de La Rochefoucauld 1767 1841 in Paris on 9 June 1788 She had three sons and one daughter Her daughter later married Francesco Borghese fr a brother in law of Pauline Bonaparte Princess Borghese She had reportedly been an acquaintance of Josephine since before she became an empress She was imprisoned during the Terror of Robespierre and had met Josephine soon after they had both been released from prison In 1804 when Napoleon made himself Emperor and his wife Empress of France he created an Imperial court and had ladies in waiting appointed to empress Josephine de La Rochefoucauld was appointed to the position of dame d honneur to the empress Josephine which was the highest rank of all ladies in waiting over ranking the dame d atours Emilie de Beauharnais and the dame du palais Jeanne Charlotte du Lucay Madame de Remusat Elisabeth Baude de Talhouet Lauriston d Arberg Marie Antoinette Duchatel Sophie de Segur Seran Colbert Savary and Aglae Louise Auguie Ney As dame d honneur it was her task to supervise the ladies in waiting organize the household of the empress decide about the visits invitations and presentations She was described as highly efficient in her task 1 Described as a haughty grande dame and as an ancien regime royalist she is said to have cowed the emperor in to silence at times Napoleon disliked her and called her a little cripple as stupid as she is ugly 2 According to Laure Junot she never actually enjoyed her position and had to be persuaded by Josephine to accept it 3 It is noted that she preferred not to use her apartment her position entitled her to at the Imperial palace 2 When Josephine was divorced from Napoleon in January 1810 Adelaide de La Rochefoucauld applied to the emperor to be allowed to continue in her position as dame d honneur for the next empress Marie Louise of Austria Napoleon was however shocked by her request regarded it as disloyalty toward Josephine and asked Josephine to dismiss her 4 She was replaced as the dame d honneur of Josephine by one of the dames de palais d Arenberg while the post of dame d honneur of empress Marie Louise went to the Duchess of Montebello Her descendants include the Dukes of Estissac and the Princes de La Rochefoucauld Montbel Dominique and his son Gabriel References edit Andrea Stuart Josephine The Rose of Martinique a b Philip Mansel The Court of France 1789 1830 Memoirs of the Duchess D Abrantes Madame Junot Annie Forbes Bush Memoirs of the Queens of France Vol 2 Histoire genealogique et heraldique des pairs de France des grands Vol 8 A Frenchman s Year in Suffolk French Impressions of Suffolk Life in 1784 Cecil B Hartley Life of the Empress Josephine Wife of Napoleon I Kate Williams Ambition and Desire The Dangerous Life of Josephine BonaparteCourt officesPreceded byGenevieve d Ossun Premiere dame d honneur1804 1809 Succeeded byLouise Antoinette Lannes Duchess of Montebello Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Adelaide de La Rochefoucauld amp oldid 1210017505, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
