Emily Chan
On October 5, 1728, Charles d’Eon de Beaumont was born and would later become known as the Chevalier d’Eon. Throughout their life, the Chevalier took on many roles, including a French soldier, a diplomat, a spy in the French king’s service, a writer, and a woman, according to a declaration by the French government.
However, their multiple military accomplishments were left in the shadows as controversy about their gender circulated. So, how did this French diplomat come to live as both a man and a woman?
D’Eon was born biologically male to a noble family in Tonnerre, Burgundy. In 1749, d’Eon graduated from Collège Mazarin with a law degree at the age of 21. Afterward, their political writings made them popular in the literary world.
In 1756, d’Eon was recruited for the King’s Secret, a group of spies working for King Louis XV. D’Eon was sent to Russia as Secretary of the Embassy in St. Petersburg. But, their real task would be to find out information in the court of Empress Elizabeth in order to get a Frenchman onto the Polish throne.
The Seven Years’ War began in September of 1756 when Frederick the Great of Prussia launched an attack on Saxony. During the war, d’Eon served as a Dragoon captain for France and became known as a brave soldier.
In 1762, the king sent a diplomatic team, including d’Eon, to London to negotiate a peace treaty. On February 10, 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed. D’Eon was rewarded with the honor of the Order of Saint-Louis and earned the title of chevalier, or “knight.”
The Chevalier d’Eon was then named interim ambassador in London and was in charge of affairs there. D’Eon was also assigned to a secret mission that involved scouting out spots for a sea invasion of England. They hosted extravagant parties to get closer to the British nobility, accumulating some hefty bills in the process.
Eventually, d’Eon was demoted to secretary and was instructed to leave London. However, d’Eon refused to budge. When the king caught wind of this, he cut off d’Eon’s access to their funds.
The Chevalier retaliated by blackmailing the king and publishing private diplomatic correspondence. The king was stuck in a tough spot since d’Eon was so popular and powerful. For over a decade, the negotiations between them continued until the king’s death in 1774.
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