Polignac, Yolande Martine Gabrielle de (1749–1793)

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Polignac, Yolande Martine Gabrielle de (1749–1793)

French royal. Name variations: Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron; Duchess or Countess of Polignac; Comtesse de Polignac; Duchesse de Polignac. Born Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron in Paris in 1749; died in 1793; married Armand Jule François Polignac, Duc de Polignac, in 1767; children: one son Armand, who took part in the conspiracy against Napoleon.

Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polignac, comtesse de Polignac, known as an "unpretentious and charming" woman who was always "simply dressed," became Marie Antoinette 's favorite in 1775 and was appointed governess to the king and queen's children. Said to be non-ambitious for herself, the comtesse was pressured by the Polignac family to seek favors from the queen. Through court largesse, she and her husband received huge pensions which aroused popular hatred. During the French Revolution, she was beheaded; her husband fled to the Ukraine. The comtesse de Polignac is featured in a portrait by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun .

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Polignac, Yolande Martine Gabrielle de (1749–1793)

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