Émilie de Beauharnais

Émilie de Beauharnais, countess de Lavalette (1781-1855), was a French court official, Dame d'atour to Empress Joséphine of France.

Émilie de Beauharnais
Born	1781
Died	1855
Noble family	House of Beauharnais
Spouse(s)	Antoine Marie Chamans, comte de Lavalette
Father	François VI de Beauharnais
Mother	Henriette Pyvart de Chastullé

Life

She was the daughter of François VI de Beauharnais and Henriette Pyvart de Chastullé and thus related to Joséphine. She married Antoine Marie Chamans, comte de Lavalette, in 1798.

She belonged to those called to be appointed when the first ladies-in-waiting was named for Joséphine. In 1804, when Napoleon made himself Emperor and his wife Empress of France, he created an Imperial court and had ladies-in-waiting appointed to empress Josephine: Adélaïde de La Rochefoucauld was created Dame d'honneur and Émilie de Beauharnais Dame d'atours, while Jeanne Charlotte du Luçay, Madame de Rémusat, Elisabeth Baude de Talhouët, Lauriston, d'Arberg, Marie Antoinette Duchâtel, Sophie de Segur, Séran, Colbert, Savary and Aglaé Louise Auguié Ney was made Dame du Palais.

When Napoleon divorced Josephine and remarried to Marie Louise in 1809, she retired and was replaced by Jeanne Charlotte du Luçay.

During the Bourbon Restoration, her spouse was sentenced to death, but she helped him escape and was herself imprisoned in 1815-16.

References

• Gilbert Schlogel, Emilie de Lavalette, une légende blessée, Fayard, 2000 ( ISBN 2213607664)