Rosalie Lamorlière
Encyclopedia
Rosalie Lamorlière was the last servant of Marie Antoinette
, while the queen was in the Conciergerie
, awaiting her trial and execution.
She was born on the 19th of March, 1768, in Breteuil
, France
, to a shoemaker and his wife (who later died when Lamorlière was 12), and was one of seven siblings. Although she was never married, she had a child to an unknown man.
Lamorlière lived some part of her life on la rue de Sèvres. Following the September Massacres
, she was engaged for work by the Richards, up until 1799.
It is unknown what she looked like exactly, as the only portrait known to be painted of her has not been found. Apart from that, the only other existing painting of Lamorlière is Marie-Antoinette, le matin de son exécution, painted by Tony Robert-Fleury
during the 19th century, and he had never seen her before.
Her tomb was erected by her daughter at the Père Lachaise Cemetery
.
Rosalie Lamorlière, dernière servante de Marie-Antoinette by Ludovic Miserole, a book on Lamorlière, was published in 2010. It is only available in French, and there are no plans for an English translation.
She is blackmailed by Polignac into coming to live with her after her younger sister commits suicide, to fill her place in a betrothal. But she runs away from home and eventually marries Bernard, a follower of Robespierre. She is present at the storming of the Bastille
where she witnesses her old friend's death. She narrates the end results of the French Revolution (including the execution of the queen) to conclude the story.
She and Bernard are also featured in the sequel to the manga (which has not received an anime adaptation) focusing on the life of Napolean, called Eikou no Napoleon – Eroica
.
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
, while the queen was in the Conciergerie
Conciergerie
La Conciergerie is a former royal palace and prison in Paris, France, located on the west of the Île de la Cité, near the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. It is part of the larger complex known as the Palais de Justice, which is still used for judicial purposes...
, awaiting her trial and execution.
She was born on the 19th of March, 1768, in Breteuil
Breteuil
-Places in France:*Breteuil, Eure, in the Eure département*Breteuil, Oise, in the Oise département...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to a shoemaker and his wife (who later died when Lamorlière was 12), and was one of seven siblings. Although she was never married, she had a child to an unknown man.
Lamorlière lived some part of her life on la rue de Sèvres. Following the September Massacres
September Massacres
The September Massacres were a wave of mob violence which overtook Paris in late summer 1792, during the French Revolution. By the time it had subsided, half the prison population of Paris had been executed: some 1,200 trapped prisoners, including many women and young boys...
, she was engaged for work by the Richards, up until 1799.
It is unknown what she looked like exactly, as the only portrait known to be painted of her has not been found. Apart from that, the only other existing painting of Lamorlière is Marie-Antoinette, le matin de son exécution, painted by Tony Robert-Fleury
Tony Robert-Fleury
Tony Robert-Fleury was a French painter.He was born just outside Paris, and studied under his father Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury and under Delaroche and Léon Cogniet....
during the 19th century, and he had never seen her before.
Her tomb was erected by her daughter at the Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
.
Rosalie Lamorlière, dernière servante de Marie-Antoinette by Ludovic Miserole, a book on Lamorlière, was published in 2010. It is only available in French, and there are no plans for an English translation.
Popular media
In the manga and adapted anime Rose of Versailles, Rosalie is made into a central character in the story. Liberties are taken to link her life with other historical characters. She is made the illegitimate daughter of Yolande de Polastron who had her when she was 15 and had her raised by a foster mother. Jeanne of Valois-Saint-Rémy is made her adopted sister. She is taken in by Oscar (the central character of the story), the head of the royal guards who first introduces her to the queen.She is blackmailed by Polignac into coming to live with her after her younger sister commits suicide, to fill her place in a betrothal. But she runs away from home and eventually marries Bernard, a follower of Robespierre. She is present at the storming of the Bastille
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
where she witnesses her old friend's death. She narrates the end results of the French Revolution (including the execution of the queen) to conclude the story.
She and Bernard are also featured in the sequel to the manga (which has not received an anime adaptation) focusing on the life of Napolean, called Eikou no Napoleon – Eroica
Eikou no Napoleon – Eroica
is a manga by Riyoko Ikeda that is a sequel to The Rose of Versailles.It tells the story of Napoleon's empire, including the Thermidorian Reaction, the Italian Campaign, the Egyptian Campaign, the Battle of the Nile, the coup of 18 Brumaire, and the French invasion of Russia.It also includes some...
.