Louise-Emmanuelle de Châtillon
| Louise-Emmanuelle de Châtillon | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1763 |
| Died | 1814 |
Louise-Emmanuelle de Châtillon, known as Princesse de Tarente (1763-1814) was a French noble, memoirist and courtier. She served as lady-in-waiting to queen Marie Antoinette of France from 1782 to 1792. Her memoirs about her life during the French revolution has been published.
She was born to Louis Gaucher, duke de Châtillon, and Adrienne-Emilie-Félicité de la Baume le Blanc de La Vallière. In 1781, she married Charles Bretagne Marie de La Trémoille, prince de Tarente and duke de la Trémouille, and the following year, she was appointed one of 15 dame du palais to the queen.
On the outbreak of the French revolution, she belonged to those courtiers accompanying the royal family from Versailles to Paris after the Women's March on Versailles in October 1789, and continued to serve the queen in the Tuileries. She was reportedly perhaps the female colleague with whom the princesse de Lamballe was most friendly, and often visited Lamballe in her salon in the Pavillon de Flore.
During the Demonstration of 20 June 1792, she, alongside Princess de Lamballe, Madame de Tourzel, the Duchess de Maillé, Mme de Laroche-Aymon, Mme de de Machau, Mme de Soucy, Mme de Ginestous, and a few noblemen, belonged to the courtiers surrounding the queen and her children for several hours when the mob passed by the room shouting insults to Marie Antoinette.
During the 10 August (French Revolution), she and the rest of the ladies-in-waiting of the queen was left in the queen's chamber after the royal family left the palace only in the company of Princess de Lamballe and Madame de Tourzel. According to Madame de Campan, the Princesse de Tarente was devastated to be left in the palace, but still managed to compose herself enough to open the doors to the chamber to the mob. This convinced the mob that the royal family was not there and that there was no need from them to break in, which may have saved the life of the women. When the mob entered to chamber where the ladies-in-waiting were gathered, the Princesse de Tarente, according to Pauline de Tourzel, approached one of the revolutionaries and asked for his protection. Reportedly, when the rebels entered the queen' bedchamber, the lady-in-waiting of the princesse de Lamballe, countess de Ginestous, had became hysterical, fallen on her knees and begged for mercy, upon which the Princesse de Tarente, herself composed, had turned to the young Marseillais who led the rioters and said: "This poor lady is, as you see, hysterical: will you kindly see her to a place of safety; And this young girl also", indicating Pauline de Tourzel, "I confide to your honour; kill me if you will, but treat her with respect", upon which he replied: "We do not fight with women; go, all of you, if you choose." According to Pauline de Tourzel, he then escorted her and Princesse de Tarente out. Following this example, the rest of the ladies-in-waiting departed the palace in about the same way, and all passed safely out.
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