Social Victorians/People/de Courcel

Also Known As

Baron Chaudron de Courcel, Vanity Fair, by "GUTH," 31 January 1895

• Family name: de Courcel
• Baron de Courcel
• The Baron Chodron de Courcel

Organizations

• Ambassador to the Court of St. James from the French Republic

Timeline

1858 October 5, Alphonse Courcel is recorded as having sailed from France on the Albion and entered England.

1881 December 27, Alphonse Courcel is appointed ambassador to Berlin:

Ten years had scarcely elapsed since Sedan had avenged Jena. It was a hard task for a diplomatist to represent the country of the vanquished in the capital of the victors. Nevertheless, guided by his true and enlightened patriotism, Baron de Courcel accepted that task, and so successfully did he accomplish it that he was soon, at the Court of Berlin, persona gratissinta. At the same time his accomplished wife had made of the drawing-room of the French Embassy the most brilliant salon in the capital of the new Empire. The Cross of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour bestowed on Baron de Courcel on March 30, 1885, was the just recompense of his services. He had previously been made an officer of the same Order in 1877 and a Commander in 1880. After fulfilling his arduous duties for five years he asked to be relieved from them, and his request was granted.

1884–1885, Alphonse Chodron de Courcel attended the Berlin Conference.

1894 October 4, Alphonse Chodron de Courcel was appointed ambassador from Paris to London: "he was offered and accepted the post which is considered the field-marshal's bâton of a French diplomatist — namely, the Embassy in London."

1896 June 8, the engagement between Mademoiselle de Courcel and M. Xavier Baudon de Mony, son of the late M. Baudon de Mony was announced.

1897 March 11, Thursday, Cambridge University bestowed an Honorary LL.D. on Baron Alphonse Chodron de Courcel as well as former American ambassador the Hon. Thomas Francis Bayard, University of Götingen Professor Felix Klein, and Erlangen Theological Professor Theodor Zahn.

1897 March 20, Mademoiselle de Courcel and M. Xavier Baudon de Mony seem to have married, as Baron de Courcel went to Paris because his daughter gave birth to twins, which lived just long enough to be baptized.

1897 July 2, Friday, Baron and Madame Alphonse de Courcel as well as two daughters attended the Duchess of Devonshire's Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House.

1898 December 6, the Pall Mall Gazette announced that Baron de Courcel was ending his career in the embassy in London. The St. James's Gazette and the Westminster Gazette have the same story about his departure from Victoria Station:

DEPARTURE OF BARON DE COURCEL.

Baron de Courcel, late French Ambassador in London, left Victoria Station this morning to return to France on his definite retirement from a diplomatic career. He is bound for his country seat, some distance beyond the French metropolis, where the members of his family are already in residence. The ex-Ambassador had expressed the hope that, having regard to the early hour of his departure, the staff of the French Embassy would not go to Victoria Station to see him off. But they were present in full force, and the popularity of the departing diplomatist was further marked by the attendance of many of his late colleagues of the Corps Diplomatique. There was no demonstration when the train left, except that the entire party stood bareheaded until Baron de Courcel was lost to view. The ex-Ambassador, who appeared to be greatly moved by the expressions of goodwill and esteem, said, in conversation just before the train started: — "In some respects l am most sorry to leave London, for I part from so many of the very best friends.”

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

Baron Alphonse de Courcel

Alphonse Chodron de Courcel, Baron de Courcel in costume as Duc de Buillon, Ambassador from Henri Quatre to Queen Elizabeth. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Marie Elizabeth, Baroness de Courcel in costume as Night. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

At the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, H. E. M. de Courcel (at 133) sat at Table 1. Perhaps Alphonse Chodron de Courcel is called "H. E. M. de Courcel" by the Morning Post because as ambassador he was "His Excellency Monsieur de Courcel"? He was

• dressed as the French Ambassador, "Duc de Buillon, Ambassador from Henri Quatre to Queen Elizabeth," in the Elizabethan procession.

He and Mr. Ephrussi (at 320) as the Spanish Envoy walked on either side of the Countess of Tweedmouth as Queen Elizabeth.

Alfred Ellis's portrait of Alphonse Chodron de Courcel, Baron de Courcel as Duc de Buillon, Ambassador from Henri Quatre to Queen Elizabeth in costume is photogravure #24 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Baron de Courcel Duc de Buillon Ambassador from Henri Quatre to Queen Elizabeth," with a Long S in Ambassador.

It is not clear exactly who Alphone Chodron de Courcel meant by Duc de Buillon, Ambassador from Henri IV to Queen Elizabeth. Grand Duke Michael of Russia went to the ball dressed as Henri IV (1553–1610), who ruled France between 1589–1610. Queen Elizabeth (1533–1603), who ruled 1558–1603, was personated by Fanny, Baroness Tweedmouth. Two people were Ducs de Buillon during the 1589–1603 time period: Charlotte, Duchesse de Bouillon, of the House of La Marck, and Henri, of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne. Henri, Duc de Bouillon (1555–1623) was a Huguenot who became Duc de Bouillon because he married Charlotte de La Marck, in 1591. He was not made ambassador to London until 1612, representing the court of Marie de' Medici.

Madame de Courcel

Madame Marie-Elisabeth Chodron de Courcel (at 182) sat at Table 8. Alfred Ellis's portrait of Marie Elizabeth (née Texier), Baroness de Courcel as Night in costume is photogravure #23 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "The Baroness de Courcel as Night," with a Long S in Baroness.

Mlles. de Courcel

Mademoiselle de Courcel in costume as a Valkyrie. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Mademoiselle Henriette de Courcel in costume as a Valkyrie. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Two daughters of the de Courcels also apparently attended the ball, Mademoiselle Henriette de Courcel and Mademoiselle de Courcel: they were not reported in the newspapers as having attended, but their portraits are included in the album at the National Portrait Gallery. A third daughter also attended, Madame Chodron de Courcel Baudon de Mony, who is treated on a separate page.

Alfred Ellis's portrait of Mademoiselle de Courcel (at 498) as a Valkyrie in costume is photogravure #25 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Mademoiselle de Courcel as a Valkyrie."

Alfred Ellis's portrait of Mademoiselle Henriette de Courcel (at 371) as a Valkyrie in costume is photogravure #26 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Mademoiselle Henriette de Courcel as a Valkyrie."

Other Valkürie were present at the ball, as were other characters in the stories told in the Wagner Ring of the Nibelung (Des Ring des Nibelungen), which was in regular performance around Europe since the premieres of its parts. Their costumes look very similar to the costumes used at Bayreuth beginning in the 1870s. Leonie, Lady Lesie was dressed as Brünhilde.

Demographics

• Nationality: French

Family

• Alphonse Chodron de Courcel (30 July 1835 – 17 June 1919)
• Marie-Elisabeth Texier Chodron de Courcel ()
  1. [Not certain of number or sequence of children]
  2. Mademoiselle Henriette Chodron de Courcel ()
  3. Madame Chodron de Courcel Baudon de Mony ()
  4. Mademoiselle de Courcel ()

Notes and Questions

1. Alphonse Chodron de Courcel's daughter Henriette Chodron de Courcel married Louis de Lasteyrie du Saillant, younger brother of Guy Louis Jules de Lasteyrie du Saillant (3 October 1879 – 14 August 1944), who married American Constance Whitney Warren on 19 December 1912 in New York. Just for a sense of the time scale.