Social Victorians/People/Deym

Also Known As

• Family name: Deym
• Franz de Paula Severin Wenzel Maria Philipp Benitius Graf Deym von Střítež
• VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/23080389/

Organizations

• Austrian Embassy (18 October 1888 – 3 September 1903)

Timeline

1888 October 18, Franz Deym became Ambassador to London, a post which he held until 3 September 1903.

1897 July 2, Friday, Count and Countess Deym attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House along with her sisters Countess Josephine Kinsky and Thérèse, Countess Clary-Aldringen and Count Clary-Aldringen as well as Count Kinsky. (Isabel, Countess Deym is #67 on the list of people who attended; Count Franz Deym is #66.)

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

Countess Isabel Deym

At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Isabel, Countess Deym was dressed as the Princesse de Lamballe, according to several newspapers, one of Napoleon's sisters, along with Countess Clary and Countess Kinsky.

The Princess of Lamballe — Princess Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy, on Marie Antoinette's staff and a close friend — was executed in September 1792, long before Napoleon's coronation. She was not one of Napoleon's sisters.

The Lewiston Evening Journal says, "The Countess of Deym, wife of the Austrian ambassador, caused a mild sensation at the ball by smoking cigarettes."

Newspaper Accounts

• She was dressed "as Princesse de Lamballe, [and] looked superb."
• She was "Princess of Lamballe, copied from a portrait in the Musée de Versailles. Robe of silver-grey moiré brocaded with roses and shaded geraniums, petticoat of pale green satin duchesse, with cascades of finest batiste embroidery caught with garlands of La France roses, batiste fichu and sleeves draped with brocade."
• "Countess Deym represented Princesse de Lamballe in silver grey moiré, with design of bunches of roses, and shaded geraniums, softened by mousseline de soie, caught with bouquets of La France roses. Countess Clary, Countess Kinsky, and Countess Isabel Deym were dressed as the three sisters of Napoleon I."
• "As the Princesse de Lamballe, the Countess Deym looked lovely in a gown of silver-grey moiré antique, brocaded with roses and worn over a yellow satin petticoat, the corsage draped with a white muslin fichu caught with a bouquet of La France roses. Countess Isabel Deym, Countess Clary, and Countess Kinsky created quite a sensation as Napoleon’s three sisters, in exquisite Empire dresses of white crêpe de chine, embroidered with gold and jewelled with pearls both black and white."
• "Countess Deym represented "Princess de Lamballe," in silver grey moire, with designs of bunches of roses and shaded geraniums, softened by mousseline de soie, caught with bouquets of La France roses."
• A "very effective trio was formed by the Countess Clary d'Aldringen, Countess Isabel Deym, and Countess Kinsky, as the three sisters of Napoleon."
• "Countess Deym at the Devonshire House fancy ball represented Princes de Lamballe, the dress of grey and silver moiré with flowers interwoven and embroidered, copied from a portrait at the Musée de Versaille."

Austro-Hungary (Count Franz Deym) by "Spy," Vanity Fair 24 February 1898

Count Franz Deym

Count Franz Deym was also present at the ball. He was dressed as

• "(General Wallenstein), leather tunic with green velvet embroidered sleeves, trunks to correspond; high boots, scarlet sash and sword."
• "General Wallenstein. Leather tunic, green velvet embroidered sleeves, trunks to correspond, high boots, and scarlet sash and sword."

A caricature portrait (right) of Count Franz Deym by Leslie Ward ("Spy") was published in the 24 February 1898 issue of Vanity Fair, as Number 705 in its "Men of the Day" series, giving a sense of what he looked like in early 1898.

Demographics

• Nationality: Austrian Empire

Family

• Franz de Paula Severin Wenzel Maria Philipp Benitius Graf Deym von Střítež (23 August 1838 – 3 September 1903)
• Anna Maria Johanna Nepomucena Josepha Gräfin von Schlabrendorf (von Schlabrendorf) (1852–1919)
  1. Graf Franz de Paula Maria Ferdinand Constantin Deym von Střítež (28 February 1871 – 23 November 1925)
  2. Graf Konstantin Stanislav Vilém Maria Václav Deym von Střítež (6 January 1873 – 30 April 1955)
  3. Blanka Marija Ludmilla Friederike Deym von Střítež (2 September 1874 – 11 December 1968)
  4. Isabel Deym: Gräfin Maria Isabella Anna Bohuslava Deym von Střítež (21 July 1877 – 8 June 1968)
  5. Graf Jan Nepomuk František de Paula Konstantin Ferdinand Deym von Střítež (1 February 1881 – 18 October 1967)

Questions and Notes

1. We know about Isabel Deym because of newspaper accounts of the Duchess of Devonshire's ball. She doesn't appear in the English or the Hungarian Wikipedia article on Franz Deym.
2. According to Geni.com, the (crowdsourced) genealogy I can find, Isabel might have been the daughter: Gräfin Maria Isabella Anna Bohuslava Deym von Střítež (21 July 1877 – 8 June 1968). "Family," above, reflects this possibility. Gräfin before Isabella's name means countess.