Charlotte d'Éon de Beaumont or Charles d'Éon de Beaumont (5 October 172821 May 1810), usually known as the Chevalière d'Éon or the Chevalier d'Éon, was a French

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

, and soldier. D'Éon fought in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, and spied for France while in Russia and England. D'Éon had

androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...

physical characteristics and natural abilities as a

mimic In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...

and a spy. D'Éon appeared publicly as a man and pursued masculine occupations for 49 years, although during that time, d'Éon successfully infiltrated the court of Empress

Elizabeth of Russia Elizabeth or Elizaveta Petrovna (; ) was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular List of Russian rulers, Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, ...

by presenting as a woman. Starting in 1777, d'Éon lived as a woman and was officially recognised as a woman by King

Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

Early life, family and education

D'Éon was born at the Hôtel d'Uzès in

Tonnerre Tonnerre (English: Thunder) is a French word meaning "thunder". It may refer to: Places Canada * Rivière-au-Tonnerre, Quebec, a municipality of the Minganie Regional County Municipality *Tonnerre River (Normandin River), a tributary of the Norman ...

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

, into a poor French noble family. D'Éon's father, Louis d'Éon de Beaumont, was an attorney and director of the king's dominions, later mayor of Tonnerre and sub-delegate of the of the of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. D'Éon's mother, Françoise de Charanton, was the daughter of a Commissioner General to the armies of the wars of Spain and Italy. Most of what is known about d'Éon's early life comes from ''The Interests of the Chevalier d'Éon de Beaumont'', a partly ghost-written autobiography, and from

Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...

's essay on the Chevalier in his 1910 book ''

Famous Impostors ''Famous Impostors'' is the last of four non-fiction books completed by Bram Stoker, the author of ''Dracula''. It features numerous historical impostors and hoaxes. The first edition was published by the Sturgis & Walton Company of New York in ...

''. D'Éon excelled in school, moving from Tonnerre to Paris in 1743 and graduating in civil law and

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

from the Collège Mazarin in 1749 at the age of 21.

Early career

D'Éon began literary work as a contributor to

Élie Catherine Fréron Élie Catherine Fréron (; 20 January 1718 – 10 March 1776) was a French literary critic and controversialist whose career focused on countering the influence of the ''philosophes'' of the French Enlightenment, partly through his vehicle, the ...

's , and attracted notice as a political writer through two works on financial and administrative questions, published in 1753. D'Éon became secretary to Bertier de Sauvigny,

intendant An intendant (; ; ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In the War of the Spanish Success ...

of Paris, served as a secretary to the administrator of the fiscal department, and was appointed a royal censor for history and literature by Malesherbes in 1758.

Life as a spy

In 1756, d'Éon joined the secret network of spies called the ('King's Secret'), employed by King

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

without the knowledge of the government. It sometimes promoted policies that were contrary to official policies and treaties. According to d'Éon's memoirs (although there is no documentary evidence to support that account) the monarch sent d'Éon with the Chevalier Douglas, Alexander Peter Mackenzie Douglas, Baron of Kildin, a Scottish Jacobite in French service, on a secret mission to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

in order to meet

Empress Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elizaveta Petrovna (; ) was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, her numerous constructio ...

and conspire with the pro-French faction against the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

. At that time the English and French were at odds, and the English were attempting to deny the French access to the Empress by allowing only women and children to cross the border into Russia. D'Éon later claimed having to pass convincingly as a woman or risk being executed by the English upon discovery and therefore travelled disguised as the lady Lia de Beaumont, and served as a

maid of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Tudors and Stuarts Traditi ...

to the Empress. However, there is little or no evidence to support this and it is now commonly accepted to be a story told to demonstrate how identifying as female had been of benefit to France in the past. Eventually, Chevalier Douglas became the French ambassador to Russia, and d'Éon was secretary to the embassy in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

from 1756 to 1760, serving Douglas and his successor, the Marquis of l'Hôpital. D'Éon returned to France in October 1760, and was granted a pension of 2,000

livres Livre may refer to: Currency * French livre, one of a number of obsolete units of currency of France * Livre tournois, one particular obsolete unit of currency of France * Livre parisis, another particular obsolete unit of currency of France * F ...

as reward for service in Russia. In May 1761, d'Éon became a captain of

dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

s under Marshal de Broglie and fought in the later stages of the

. D'Éon served at the

Battle of Villinghausen The Battle of Villinghausen (or Vellinghausen, also known as the Battle of Kirchdenkern), took place during the Seven Years' War fought on the 15th and 16 July 1761 in the western area of present-day Germany, between a large French army and an ...

in July 1761, and was wounded at Ultrop. After Empress Elizabeth died in January 1762, d'Éon was considered for further service in Russia, but instead was appointed secretary to the

Duke of Nevers The counts of Nevers were the rulers of the County of Nevers, in France, The territory became a duchy in the peerage of France in 1539 under the dukes of Nevers. History The history of the County of Nevers is closely connected to the Duchy of Bu ...

, awarded 1,000 livres, and sent to London to draft the

peace treaty A peace treaty is an treaty, agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually country, countries or governments, which formally ends a declaration of war, state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice, which is an ag ...

that formally ended the Seven Years' War. The treaty was signed in Paris on 10 February 1763, and d'Éon was awarded a further 6,000 livres, and received the

Order of Saint-Louis The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis () is a dynastic order of chivalry founded 5 April 1693 by King Louis XIV, named after Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France). It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, notable as the fir ...

on 30 March 1763, becoming the Chevalier d'Éon. The title , French for '

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

', is also sometimes used for French noblemen. Back in London, d'Éon became

chargé d'affaires A (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador. The term is Frenc ...

in April 1763, and then

plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of a sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word can als ...

minister—essentially interim ambassador—when the duc de Nivernais returned to Paris in July. D'Éon used this position also to spy for the king. D'Éon collected information for a potential French invasion of Britain—an unfortunate and clumsy initiative of Louis XV, of which Louis's own ministers were unaware—assisting a French agent, , who was surveying the British coastal defences. D'Éon formed connections with

English nobility The British nobility is made up of the peerage and the gentry of the British Isles. Though the UK is today a constitutional monarchy with strong democratic elements, historically the British Isles were more predisposed towards aristocratic gove ...

by sending them the produce of d'Éon's vineyard in France; d'Éon abundantly enjoyed the splendour of this interim embassy. Upon the arrival of the new ambassador, the Count of Guerchy, in October 1763, d'Éon was demoted to the rank of secretary and humiliated by the count. D'Éon was trapped between two French factions: Guerchy was a supporter of the Duke of Choiseul, Duke of Praslin and

Madame de Pompadour Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and rema ...

, in opposition to the Count of Broglie and his brother the Marshal de Broglie. D'Éon complained, and eventually decided to disobey orders to return to France. In a letter to the king, d'Éon claimed that the new ambassador had tried to drug d'Éon at a dinner at the ambassador's residence in Monmouth House in

Soho Square Soho Square is a garden square in Soho, London, hosting since 1954 a ''de facto'' public park leasehold estate, let by the Soho Square Garden Committee to Westminster City Council. It was originally called King Square after Charles II of Engla ...

. The British government declined a French request to extradite d'Éon, and the 2,000 livres pension that had been granted in 1760 was stopped in February 1764. In an effort to save d'Éon's station in London, d'Éon published much of the secret diplomatic correspondence about d'Éon's recall under the title in March 1764, disavowing Guerchy and calling him unfit for the job. This breach of diplomatic discretion was scandalous to the point of being unheard of, but d'Éon had not yet published everything (the King's secret invasion documents and those relative to the were kept back as "insurance"), and so the French government became cautious in its dealings with d'Éon, even when d'Éon sued Guerchy for attempted murder. D'Éon did not offer any defence when Guerchy sued for libel, and was declared an

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...

and went into hiding. However, d'Éon secured the sympathy of the British public: the mob jeered Guerchy in public, and threw stones at his residence. D'Éon then wrote a book on public administration, , which was published in thirteen volumes in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

in 1774. Guerchy was recalled to France, and in July 1766 Louis XV granted d'Éon a pension (possibly a pay-off for d'Éon's silence) and a 12,000-livre annuity, but refused a demand for over 100,000 livres to clear d'Éon's extensive debts. D'Éon continued to work as a spy, but lived in political exile in London. D'Éon's possession of the king's secret letters provided protection against further actions, but d'Éon could not return to France in safety. D'Éon became a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in 1768, and was initiated at London's Immortality Lodge.

Life as a woman

Despite the fact that d'Éon habitually wore a dragoon's uniform, rumours circulated in London that d'Éon was actually a woman. A

betting pool A betting pool, syndicate, sports lottery, sweep, or office pool if done at work, is a form of gambling, specifically a variant of parimutuel betting influenced by lotteries, where gamblers pay a fixed price into a ''pool'' (from which taxes and a ...

was started on the

London Stock Exchange The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange based in London, England. the total market value of all companies trading on the LSE stood at US$3.42 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cath ...

about d'Éon's true gender. D'Éon was invited to join, but declined, saying that an examination would be dishonouring, whatever the result. After a year without progress, the wager was abandoned. Following the death of Louis XV in 1774, the was abolished, and d'Éon tried to negotiate a return from exile. The writer

Pierre de Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French playwright and diplomat during the Age of Enlightenment. Best known for his three Figaro plays, at various times in his life he was also a watchmaker, invent ...

represented the French government in the negotiations. The resulting twenty-page treaty permitted d'Éon to return to France and retain the ministerial pension, but required that d'Éon turn over the correspondence regarding the .

Madame Campan Henriette Campan (Jeanne Louise Henriette; ''née'' Genet; 2 OctoberMadame Campan, ''Memoirs of the Court of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France'', 1752 16 March 1822) also known as Madame Campan, was a French educator, writer and Lady's maid. In ...

writes in her memoirs: "This eccentric being had long solicited permission to return to France; but it was necessary to find a way of sparing the family he had offended the insult they would see in his return; he was therefore made to resume the costume of that sex to which in France everything is pardoned. The desire to see his native land once more determined him to submit to the condition, but he revenged himself by combining the long train of his gown and the three deep ruffles on his sleeves with the attitude and conversation of a grenadier, which made him very disagreeable company." The Chevalier d'Éon claimed to have been

assigned female at birth Sex assignment (also known as gender assignment) is the discernment of an infant's sex, typically made at birth based on an examination of the baby's external genitalia by a healthcare provider such as a midwife, nurse, or physician. In the ...

, and demanded recognition by the government as such. D'Éon claimed to have been raised as a boy because Louis d'Éon de Beaumont could inherit from his in-laws only if he had a son. King

and his court complied with this demand, but required in turn that d'Éon dress appropriately in women's clothing, although d'Éon was allowed to continue to wear the insignia of the Order of Saint-Louis. When the king's offer included funds for a new wardrobe of women's clothes, d'Éon agreed. In 1777, after fourteen months of negotiation, d'Éon returned to France and as punishment was banished to

. Once King

's agreement was reached with d'Éon, reports of d'Éon leaving Britain reached the public. These reports sparked legal cases pertaining to unresolved wagers to be filed. This led to Chief Justice

William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, (2 March 1705 – 20 March 1793), was a British judge, politician, lawyer, and peer best known for his reforms to English law. Born in Scone Palace, Perthshire, to a family of Scottish nobility, he wa ...

, to legally pronounce d'Éon as female under English law. When France began to help the rebels during the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, d'Éon asked to join the French troops in America, but their banishment prevented it. In 1779, d'Éon published a book of memoirs: . They were ghostwritten by a friend named La Fortelle and are probably embellished. D'Éon was allowed to return to England in 1785. The pension that Louis XV had granted was ended by the French Revolution, and d'Éon had to sell personal possessions, including books, jewellery and plate. The family's properties in Tonnerre were confiscated by the revolutionary government. In 1792, d'Éon sent a letter to the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...

offering to lead a division of female soldiers against the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

, but the offer was rebuffed. D'Éon participated in fencing tournaments until being seriously wounded in Southampton in 1796. D'Éon's last years were spent with a widow, Mrs. Cole. In 1804, d'Éon was sent to a

debtors' prison A debtors' prison is a prison for people who are unable to pay debt. Until the mid-19th century, debtors' prisons (usually similar in form to locked workhouses) were a common way to deal with unpaid debt in Western Europe.Cory, Lucinda"A Histor ...

for five months, and signed a contract for a biography to be written by

Thomas William Plummer Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

, which was never published. D'Éon became paralysed following a fall, and spent a final four years bedridden, dying in poverty in London on 21 May 1810 at the age of 81. The surgeon who examined d'Éon's body attested in their post-mortem certificate that the Chevalier had "male organs in every respect perfectly formed", while at the same time displaying feminine characteristics. A couple of characteristics described in the certificate were "unusual roundness in the formation of limbs", as well as "breast remarkably full". D'Éon's body was buried in the churchyard of

St Pancras Old Church St Pancras Old Church is a Church of England parish church on Pancras Road, Somers Town, London, Somers Town, in the London Borough of Camden. Somers Town is an area of the ancient parish and later Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras, London, St ...

, and d'Éon's remaining possessions were sold by

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...

in 1813. D'Éon's grave is listed on the

Burdett-Coutts Memorial The Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial is a structure built in the churchyard of Old St Pancras, London, in 1877–79, at the behest of Baroness Burdett-Coutts. The former churchyard included the burial ground for St Giles-in-the-Fields, where m ...

there as one of the important graves lost.

Legacy

A presentation sword belonging to d'Éon and gifted by its owner to George Keate in 1777 is on display at the

Royal Armouries The Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom's national collection of arms and armour. Once an important part of England's military organization, it became the United Kingdom's oldest museum, and one of the oldest museums in the world. It is als ...

in Leeds. The blade is inscribed in French: 'Donne par la Chevalïere d’Eon à son ancïen Ami Geo: Keate Esquïre. 1777'. Some of d'Éon's papers are at the

Brotherton Library The Brotherton Library is a 1936 Grade II listed Neoclassical building with some art deco fittings, located on the main campus of the University of Leeds. It was designed by the firm of Lanchester & Lodge, and is named after Edward Brothert ...

at the University of Leeds, including a number of letters from Keate. Some modern scholars have interpreted d'Éon as

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

Havelock Ellis Henry Havelock Ellis (2 February 1859 – 8 July 1939) was an English physician, eugenicist, writer, Progressivism, progressive intellectual and social reformer who studied human sexuality. He co-wrote the first medical textbook in English on h ...

coined the term '' eonism'' to describe similar cases of transgender behaviour; it is rarely used now.

The Beaumont Society The Beaumont Society is a human rights organisation based in the United Kingdom, which is run by transgender people to support their community. Founded in 1966, and named after Chevalier d'Éon, it provides social support for transgender people, ...

, a long-standing organisation for transgender people, is named after d'Éon. In 2012, a 1792 painting (shown above) by Thomas Stewart was identified as a portrait of d'Éon, and was purchased by the

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...

. The

at St Pancras Gardens in London commemorates d'Éon as well as other people; in 2016

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

upgraded it to a Grade II*

listed structure In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

Cultural depictions

The Chevalier d'Éon has appeared as a character in numerous fictional works and music. * In the popular pop song "" by French artist

Mylène Farmer Mylène Jeanne Gautier (; born 12 September 1961), known professionally as Mylène Farmer (), is a French singer and songwriter. Having sold more than 30 million records worldwide, she is among the most successful recording artists of all time ...

, the Chevalier d'Éon is alluded to by the singer in lyrics describing the singer putting a handkerchief in her trousers to resemble a man. * ''The Chevalière d'Eon'', by

Charles Dupeuty Charles Désiré Dupeuty (6 February 1798 – 20 October 1865), was a 19th-century French librettist and playwright. Biography After he studied at the Lycée Impérial, he enrolled in the army during the Hundred Days then worked as an employee ...

and the Baron de Maldigny (1837),

Théâtre du Vaudeville The Théâtre du Vaudeville () was a theatre company in Paris. It opened on 12 January 1792 on rue de Chartres. Its directors, Pierre-Antoine-Augustin de Piis, Piis and Yves Barré, Barré, mainly put on "petites pièces mêlées de couplets s ...

* ''The Chevalier d'Eon'', a comedy in three acts by

Dumanoir Philippe François Pinel (), known as Dumanoir (; 31 July 1806 – 16 November 1865), was a French playwright and librettist. Biography Dumanoir was born in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe. He was the son of Mrs. Pinel-Dumanoir, whose family ...

and

Jean-François Bayard Jean-François Alfred Bayard (; 17 March 1796, Charolles, Saône-et-Loire – 20 February 1853, Paris) was a French playwright. He was the nephew of fellow playwright Eugène Scribe. Life As a law student and a lawyer's clerk, Bayard wrote with ...

(1837),

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés () is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History The theatre owed its creation to Mademoiselle Montans ...

* , an in four acts by , libretto by

Armand Silvestre Paul Armand Silvestre (18 April 1837 – 19 February 1901) was a 19th-century French poet and ''conteur'' born in Paris. He studied at the École polytechnique with the intention of entering the army, but in 1870, he entered the departmen ...

and

Henri Cain Henri Cain (11 October 1857 – 21 November 1937) was a French dramatist, opera and ballet librettist. He wrote over forty librettos from 1893 to his death, for many of the most prominent composers of the Parisian Belle Epoque. Cain was born in ...

(1908),

Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin () is a venerable theatre and opera house at 18, Boulevard Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. History It was first built very rapidly in 1781 under the direction of (1726–1810) to hou ...

; Anne Dancrey created the title role * ''

Spy of Madame Pompadour ''Spy of Madame Pompadour'' (German: ''Marquis d'Eon, der Spion der Pompadour'') is a 1928 German silent film directed by Karl Grune and starring Liane Haid, Fritz Kortner and Alfred Gerasch.Klossner p.360 It portrays the life of the eighteenth ...

'' (1928), film * (1959), a film loosely based on the life of the Chevalier that portrays d'Éon as a woman masquerading as a man * '' By Plume and Sword'' (), a novel by the Soviet writer

Valentin Pikul Valentin Savvich Pikul (; July 13, 1928 – July 16, 1990) was a popular and prolific Soviet Union, Soviet historical novelist of Ukrainian-Russian heritage. He lived and worked in Riga. Pikul's novels were grounded in extensive research, blendin ...

, written in 1963 and first published in 1972, based on d'Éon's career in Russia *''

Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French playwright and diplomat during the Age of Enlightenment. Best known for his three Figaro plays, at various times in his life he was also a watchmaker, invent ...

'' (1996), a film depicting episodes in the life of

, including negotiations with d'Éon in 1774 over the return of correspondence regarding the * (2006), an anime series loosely based on the Chevalier d'Éon * ''The Sword of the Chevalier'', a 2017 episode of the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' audio series '' The Tenth Doctor Adventures'', which sees the Chevalier meeting the

Tenth Doctor The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is played by David Tennant in three series and nine specials. The character has also appeared in other ''Docto ...

(

David Tennant David John Tennant (; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the Tenth Doctor, tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, fourteenth incarnations of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Docto ...

) and

Rose Tyler Rose Tyler is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She was created by series producer Russell T Davies and portrayed by Billie Piper. With the revival of ''Doctor Who'' in 2005, Rose was intro ...

(

Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper (born Leian Paul Piper; 22 September 1982) is an English actress and former singer who is best known for her portrayal as Rose Tyler in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2006, 2008, 2010). She initially gained recognition as a singer a ...

) and assisting them in thwarting alien slavers who intend to destroy Earth to drive up the market price of their captives * The Chevalier d'Éon appears as an unplayable character that gives out side-quests in the game '' Assassin's Creed: Unity''. * D'Eon appears as an agent in the game '' Napoleon: Total War''. * In "History of a French Louse; or The Spy of a New Species, in France and England", a chapter of ''British it-Narratives 1750–1830'' (2012), d'Éon is portrayed as a nameless character which a louse inhabits for a period of time. * ''The Chevalier d'Éon: The 18th Century Transgender Spy'' (2022), a biographical short documentary directed by Jono Namara for

BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetised BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...

* ''

Innocent Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is prior to the sense of legal guilt and is a primal emotion connected with the sense of self. It is often confused as being the op ...

'' (2013–2015), a manga series by Shin'ichi Sakamoto, briefly depicts d'Éon as a side character.Issue 8 (p.193–197, 203, 209, 216–220) * ''

Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese gacha game, gacha mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity (game engine), Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon' ...

'' depicts d'Éon as a character in a video game, voiced by

Chiwa Saitō is a Japanese voice actress represented by I'm Enterprise. She is best known for her anime roles, which include Hitagi Senjougahara in ''Monogatari'', Homura Akemi in ''Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', Yona in ''Akatsuki no Yona'', Chloe von Eizenb ...

. * The mobile game ''Time Princess'' includes d'Éon as a companion in the story "Queen Marie". *The miniseries ''

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...

'' (2024) depicts d'Éon as a character who meets Benjamin Franklin in Paris.

Notes

References

External links

* British Museum
Le Chevalier d'Eon, 1764
portrait * British Museum
Mademoiselle La Chevaliere D'Eon de Beaumont
portrait * British Museum
George Dance, Chevalier D'Eon, Graphite with watercolour, bodycolour and red stump, England, 1793
portrait and biography. * British Museum
Chevalière d'Eon
satire * British Museum
Additional holdings
* * The Beaumont Society
Charles-Genevieve Deon De Beaumont
(archived) * National Portrait Gallery
Portrait by Thomas StewartThe Chevalier d'Eon

The Strange Case of the Chevalier d'Eon
History Today Volume 60, Issue 4, 2010

*Archival material at th
Rubenstein Library, Duke University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eon De Beaumont, Chevalier 1728 births 1810 deaths People from Yonne 18th-century French diplomats French knights French spies Androgynous people University of Paris alumni French people of the Seven Years' War 18th-century spies 18th-century French LGBTQ people French Freemasons Transgender military personnel French LGBTQ military personnel French expatriates in the United Kingdom French expatriates in the Russian Empire Historical figures with ambiguous or disputed gender identity