Dorothea von Biron
| Princess Dorothea | |
|---|---|
| Duchess of Dino, Duchess of Talleyrand, Duchess of Sagan | |
 |
|
| Born | 21 August 1793 |
| Died | 19 September 1862 (aged 69) |
| Spouse | Edmond de Talleyrand-Périgord (m. 1809; separated 1818) |
| Issue | Napoléon Louis de Talleyrand-Périgord Dorothée de Talleyrand-Périgord Alexandre Edmond de Talleyrand-Périgord Pauline de Talleyrand-Périgord |
| Father |
Peter von Biron (official) Aleksander Batowski (biological) |
| Mother | Dorothea von Medem |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic, prev. Lutheran |
Dorothea von Biron, Princess of Courland, Duchess of Dino, Talleyrand, and Sagan, known as Dorothée de Courlande or Dorothée de Dino (21 August 1793 – 19 September 1862), was a Baltic German noblewoman. Her mother was Dorothea von Medem, Duchess of Courland, and although her mother's husband, Duke Peter von Biron, acknowledged her as his own, her true father might be Polish statesman Aleksander Batowski. For a long time, she accompanied the French statesman Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, whereas she was the separated wife of his nephew, Edmond de Talleyrand-Périgord.
Dorothea was born on Friedrichsfelde Palace near Berlin, the fourth and last daughter of Duchess Dorothea of Courland, who was by then separated from her husband, Duke Peter of Courland. Dorothea's paternity is disputed but generally assigned to Count Aleksander Batowski, a Polish envoy to the Duchy of Courland. Her biological father was a close associate of her uncle Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord during the Napoleonic period. Her three elder half sisters, all legitimate daughters of the Duke of Courland, were: Princess Wilhelmine, Duchess of Sagan; Princess Pauline, Duchess of Sagan; and Princess Johanna Katharina, Duchess of Acerenza. The Duke of Courland acknowledged her officially, which entitled her to be styled Princess of Courland. She was educated in Germany.
Looking for a wealthy heiress for his nephew Edmond, Talleyrand asked Tsar Alexander I of Russia to intervene with Dorothea's mother in favor of Edmond's marrying her. The marriage occurred on 21 and 22 April 1809 at Frankfurt amidst the Napoleonic Wars, presided over by Talleyrand's friend, Prince-Bishop Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg, and Dorothea thus became comtesse Edmond de Périgord and great-niece of then Count de Talleyrand-Périgord, prince of Bénévent. Educated in Germany, she was plunged into French society, where she represented the enemy. Her three sisters, also very anti-French, did not help her marriage and despite the birth of three children, the marriage became unhappy, with Edmond more concerned with gaming, war and other women than with his wife.
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