Béatrix de Choiseul-Stainville had been a leading figure at the court of Versailles; she was the sister of the once-powerful minister, the Duc de Choiseul, and the wife of the Duc de Gramont. Being very close with her brother, she chose to accompany him into exile in 1770 when he fell from favour.
Thus, the Duchesse de Gramont found herself at the Château de Chanteloup when the revolutionaries came knocking. She was arrested in October 1793, before the execution of Marie Antoinette. By this time, her brother had been dead for years. She was consequently left to her own devices, particularly as she does not appear to have had any relationship with her husband, Antoine VII de Gramont, who happened to survive the revolution.
Béatrix was brought before the tribunal and charged with forwarding money to the royal cause and harbouring royal fugitives. It certainly did not help her case that she had previously supplied Marie Antoinette with linen when the royal family was deprived of the most basic essentials. She continued her fervent support of the royal family during the Reign of Terror and even corresponded with the king when he still had the opportunity to do so. Béatrix had also refused to emigrate France.
Throughout her life, Béatrix had been either celebrated or vilified for her forwardness which was accompanied by a healthy dose of self-assurance and sheer brazenness. That was to become abundantly clear during her very trial. With this characteristic brazenness, she replied "I was going to deny it but my life is not worth a lie!".
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| Béatrix |
The Duchesse de Gramont was not the only woman who was facing the already determined judges; she was accompanied by the Duchesse du Châtelet. If her initial response had not rattled her judges, they were certainly taken aback when Béatrix directly confronted them regarding her fellow-prisoner. When she had been informed of her death sentence, she remarked that she was not surprised to hear it for she had caught the public's eye despite not having interfered in the politics of the nation for years; but what truly angered her was the fact that the Duchesse du Châtelet was accused alongside her. She allegedly pointed to the Duchesse du Châtelet and exclaimed how "this angel" could possibly have offended them; her co-accused was the "picture of innocence and benevolence" and had never harmed anyone.
Such spiritedness after having just been informed of her own impending death show the strength of character she had. It was of little use to either of them, though. They were condemned to die alongside 10 other people, including the former minister Malesherbes (who was 72 years old!). The story goes that - while awaiting her sentence being carried out - she was approached by her judges and offered a way out if she revealed the whereabouts of the Comte du Châtelet, son of her friend. As could be imagined, she fiercely refused to do so.
When such a large number of people were to be executed, they were typically taken to the scaffold in several carts. On 17 April 1794, Béatrix was led to the scaffold with her hands tied behind her back. She asked for a confessor but was apparently informed that such things were no longer provided. Béatrix was guillotined at the age of 64 years.
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