Rosalie Lamorlière

Marie Antoinette le matin de son exécution by Tony Robert-Fleury (detail). Rosalie is pictured tending to Antoinette; it is the only known image of Rosalie existing today.

Rosalie Lamorlière (or simply Rosalie Lamorliere in English) was the last servant of Marie Antoinette, while the queen was in the Conciergerie, awaiting her trial and execution.^[1]

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.^[2]

Lamorlière lived some part of her life on la rue de Sèvres.^[2] Following the September Massacres, she was engaged for work by the Richards, up until 1799.^[2]

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.^[2]

Her tomb was erected by her daughter at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.^[1]

Tombe de la famille de Rosalie Lamorliere

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.^[3]

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 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.

References

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