Madame de Saint-Laurent
| Madame de Saint-Laurent | |
|---|---|
 Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent, 1800 | |
| Born |
Alphonsine-Thérèse-Bernardine-Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent 30 September 1760 Besançon, France |
| Died |
8 August 1830 (aged 69) Paris, France |
| Burial place | Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris |
| Other names |
Julie de Saint-Laurent Thérèse-Bernardine Montgenêt |
| Known for | Mistress of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent |
| Spouse(s) | Baron de Fortisson |
| Partner(s) | Prince Edward, Duke of Kent |
| Parent(s) |
Jean-Claude Mongenêt Jeanne-Claude Pussot |
Madame Alphonsine-Thérèse-Bernardine-Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent (30 September 1760 in Besançon, France - 8 August 1830 in Paris) was the wife of Baron de Fortisson, a colonel in the French service, and the mistress of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn.
Madame de Saint-Laurent was born 30 September 1760 in Besançon, France to Jean-Claude Mongenêt, a civil engineer, and Jeanne-Claude (Claudine) Pussot and later moved to Quebec.
On the formation of Lower Canada, in August, 1791, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn arrived in Quebec City and shortly afterwards leased Judge Mabane's house for £90 per annum. He lived at the Duke of Kent House, Quebec for three years with Madame de Saint Laurent, before he was posted to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1794.
History
While in Geneva, the Duke had been introduced to the de Fortissons and soon after Julie and Edward became lovers. The Dukes's father, King George III, enrolled Edward in the army and had him posted to Gibraltar, where Edward made arrangements for her to be smuggled so they could be together. George III later found out about the affair and so sent the Duke to Quebec City as colonel of the 7th Fusiliers. Humiliated, at first he refused to go, but in August 1791 he arrived accompanied by his chatelaine, introduced as Julie de Saint-Laurent and reputed to be a widow. It has been claimed by several writers that she was morganatically married to the Duke of Kent at a Roman Catholic church in Quebec.
For twenty-eight years Madame de Saint-Laurent presided over the Duke's household, as a local chronicler records, "with dignity and propriety." She is described as having been beautiful, clever, witty and accomplished. Many of her letters will be found in Anderson's " Life of the Duke of Kent " (Quebec: 1870). After the Duke's marriage in 1818 to the widow of the Prince of Leiningen, Madame de Saint-Laurent retreated to Paris where she lived out her days amongst her family and friends.
The portrait of the Duke by Beechey was hers.[1]
There is no evidence of children but many families in Canada have claimed descent from the couple.[2]
She died in 1830 and was buried with her sister, Jeanne-Beatrix, Comtesse de Jansac, at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
Legacy
- Namesake of Julie's Pond, Bedford, Nova Scotia
- St. Laurent Place, Halifax
- Julie's Walk, Bedford
References
Endnotes
Texts
- Canadian Biography
- Mollie Gillen. The Prince and His Lady: The Love Story of the Duke of Kent and Madame de St Laurent. Formac. 2005.