Marie Dorothée Louise de Talleyrand-Périgord (17 November 1862 – 17 July 1948) was a French aristocrat most notable for her salons and her role in European high-society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as "Dolly" to her friends, she inspired artists and writers including Marcel Proust. She was the half-sister of the prince de Sagan, who had dual French and Prussian nationality and sat in the

Prussian House of Lords The Prussian House of Lords (german: Preußisches Herrenhaus) in Berlin was the upper house of the Landtag of Prussia (german: Preußischer Landtag), the parliament of Prussia from 1850 to 1918. Together with the lower house, the House of Re ...

.André Germain, ''op. cité'', p. 126

Biography

A daughter of Napoléon-Louis de Talleyrand-Périgord (1811–1898), duc de Dino et de Talleyrand and Rachel Élisabeth Pauline

de Castellane De Castellane is a Champagne producer based in the Épernay region of Champagne. The house, founded in 1895, produces both vintage and non-vintage '' cuvee'' as well as a ''blanc de blancs'' Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned ...

, she spent her childhood in her father's vast estates in

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

, where even as a very small child accompanied him on wolf hunts. Her first marriage was to Hereditary Prince Charles Egon IV von und zu

Fürstenberg Fürstenberg (also Fuerstenberg and Furstenberg) may refer to: Historical states * Fürstenberg-Baar, county (1441–1559) * Fürstenberg-Blumberg, county (1559–1614) * Fürstenberg-Donaueschingen, county (1617–1698) * Fürstenberg-Fürsten ...

, one-time lover of the courtesan Laure Hayman and son of hereditary prince Charles-Egon III and his wife Princess Elisabeth Reuss zu Greiz. Their marriage lasted 15 years, during which the princess was "one of the main ornaments of the

russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

court in Berlin". Her cousin Princess Marie Radziwill (1840–1915) also held a brilliant salon in Berlin. According to Princess Radziwill's nephew

Boni de Castellane Marie Ernest Paul Boniface de Castellane, Marquis de Castellane (February 14, 1867 – October 20, 1932), known as Boni de Castellane, was a French nobleman and politician. He was known as a leading '' Belle Époque'' tastemaker and the first hus ...

: She also lived in her palace in Donaueschingen. After her first husband's death, she remarried in 1898 to her cousin Count

Jean de Castellane Jean de Castellane (24 April 1868 – 13 September 1965) was a French politician and member of the house of Castellane. In 1898 he married Dorothée de Talleyrand-Périgord. He was born and died in Paris. Life He was the second son of Antoine ...

, son of

Antoine de Castellane Marquis Boniface Antoine de Castellane (12 May 1844 – 10 December 1917) was a French aristocrat, most notable as deputy for Cantal and as father of Boni de Castellane. Early life Boniface Antoine de Castellane was born on 12 May 1844 in Pa ...

. According to

George Painter George Duncan Painter OBE (5 June 1914 – 8 December 2005), known as George D. Painter, was an English author most famous as a biographer of Marcel Proust. Career Painter was born in Birmingham, England. His father was a schoolmaster, and his mot ...

, she inspired

Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel '' In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous E ...

to create the character of the young princess Guermantes, who was born a duchess in

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

and had a slight German accent.George Painter, ''op. cité'', p. 206, tome I Intelligent and spiritual, she held a prestigious

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

at the place des Saussaies in Paris, receiving

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empir ...

. She was nicknamed "Gräfin Jean" (countess Jean) and André Germain said that: whilst André de Fouquières stated she: She was disliked by her rival, the Elisabeth, Countess Greffulhe. In the inter-war period, her salon was also frequented by several politicians, most notably Georges Leygues.

References

Bibliography

* André Germain, ''Les Clés de Proust'', Paris, éditions Sun, 1953 * George D. Painter, ''Marcel Proust'', Paris, Mercure de France, 1966, 2de édition 1992 {{DEFAULTSORT:Talleyrand-Perigord, Dorothee 1862 births 1948 deaths Dorothee de Talleyrand-Perigord French princesses French countesses French salon-holders Dorothee