Emily Chan
Meanwhile, the public was speculating over the Chevalier’s gender, believing that they were a woman.
Instead of denying the rumors, the Chevalier added fuel to the scandal. The new king, Louis XVI, was left to clean up the mess.
He agreed to let d’Eon go back to France and offered a yearly sum of money if they handed over the private documents.
D’Eon must also dress as a woman for the remainder of their life to be legally pronounced as female.
The agreement was signed in 1775, and the king had his wife’s dressmaker create a whole new wardrobe for d’Eon.
D’Eon rose even further to fame and made up stories to explain their gender behavior. D’Eon claimed that they had been born female but were forced to keep their gender hidden in order to inherit their father’s estate. Then, d’Eon continued to dress as a man to serve France as a soldier and diplomat.
After Louis XVI was executed, d’Eon was left with no money or home. For the last three decades of their life, they still chose to dress as a woman and earned a living by fencing in women’s clothing. In 1810, d’Eon died.
Their body was discovered by their roommate of 14 years. It was then that d’Eon was found to be biologically male.
D’Eon paved the way for equal opportunities to be given to women by setting themselves up as a model for strong, independent women.
D’Eon’s story and accomplishments were used as proof that women can do anything that men do. D’Eon was also just a person exploring their gender identity and is considered a notable figure in the transgender community today.
