Thehistory of France is populated by illustrious and unusual characters who continue to surprise and fascinate to this day. Today, we're going to tell you thestory of Charles d'Éon de Beaumont, a Louis XV spy who had the distinction of cross-dressing to carry out his missions. The Chevalier d'Éon was a true pioneer of transformism, a master of disguise who used this skill to serve his country and navigate the upper echelons of European diplomacy. His legacy lives on, reminding us that identity is often more complex and nuanced than traditional categories.
From an early age,the Chevalier d'Éon stood out for his intelligence and fencing skills. He soon joined the world of diplomacy, becoming a spy for King Louis XV. It was during these missions that d'Éon developed his art of disguise. To infiltrate circles of power, he often disguised himself as a woman, taking advantage of his androgynous appearance and adopting female identities with disconcerting ease.
One of d'Éon's most memorable missions took place in Russia, where he posed as Empress Elisabeth's reader. This period is emblematic of his transformism: d'Éon lives and works under a female identity, gaining access to sensitive information while avoiding suspicion. This disguise became second nature to him, and he continued to oscillate between his masculine and feminine identities throughout his life.
In 1777, a significant event changed d'Éon's life. King Louis XVI, successor to Louis XV, agreed to pay the debts of d'Éon, then dispatched to London, on condition that he henceforth live as a woman. Thus, d'Éon was officially expected to spend the rest of his life as a woman, becoming both an intriguing and controversial public figure. Nevertheless, when his return to France was contemplated, Chevalier d'Éon once again donned his masculine attire, appearing at court in his dragoon captain's uniform against the king's wishes. Louis XVI ordered her "to leave the dragoon uniform she continued to wear, and to return to the clothes of her sex, forbidding her to appear in the kingdom in anything other than female attire".
However, Charles d'Éon de Baumont once again violated this order: wishing to take part in the American War of Independence against England in 1779, he once again donned a dragoon uniform, which led the royal authorities to condemn him to exile in Tonnerre. He was again allowed to return to Paris in 1783, before leaving for London in 1785. Various reverses of fortune led to his precarious existence, and even after the age of 60, the Chevalier d'Éon took part in fencing bouts in women's clothing, which did not prevent him from winning most of his fights.
The Chevalier d'Éon died on May 21, 1810, aged 81, in an old lady's toilette. Surprisingly, it was then discovered that he was a man: "I hereby certify that I have examined and dissected the body of the Chevalier d'Éon in the presence of Mr. Adair, Mr. Wilson and Father Élysée, and that I have found on this body the male organs of the generation perfectly formed in all respects", stated surgeon Mr. Copeland in his report.
