Jane Thorne
Jane Thorne, baronne de Pierres (1821-1873) was a French courtier of American origin. She served as lady-in-waiting (dame de Palais) to the empress of France, Eugénie de Montijo.
Life
Jane Thorne was born in New York as the daughter of the American millionaire Herman Thorne and Jane Mary Jauncey. Her father was a well known figure in the American millionaire colony in Paris. She married the French nobleman Eugène Stéphane de Pierres, barón de Pierres, in 1842.
After the introduction of the Third Empire, she was appointed to be one of the ladies-in-waiting to the new empress. The ladies-in-waiting appointed to the new empress consisted of a Grand-Maitresse or senior lady-in-waiting (Anne Debelle, Princesse d'Essling), a deputy or dame d'honneur (Pauline de Bassano) and six (later twelve) Dame du Palais, most of whom were chosen from among the acquaintances to the empress prior to her marriage, and who alternated in pairs fullfilling the daily duties. [1] She was in the list of the very first appointed to the new empress, published by The Moniteur on 26 January 1853: grand mistress, the Princesse d'Essling; lady of honor, the Duchesse de Bassano; ladies of the palace, the Comtesse Gustave de Montebello, Madame Feray, the Vicomtesse de Lezay-Marnesia, the Baronne de Pierres, the Baronne de Malaret; grand master, General Comte Tascher de la Pagerie; chamberlain, the Vicomte de Lezay-Marnesia; equerry, the Baron de Pierres. [2]
Jane Thorne was a personal friend of Eugenie from before her marriage to the emperor. She was referred to as a great beauty, but also as a shy, introverted neurotic.[3]
The empress was reportedly charmed by her American accent, but also irritated by her smoking, as she had the habit of blowing the smoke in to the empress' face.[4] Empress Eugenie often spoke English with Jane Thorne, because she wanted to keep up her English. A contemporary said of her:
- "Miss Thorne spoke English with just a slight touch of the best American accent and some of the words which she had brought with her from the other side of the Atlantic — especially that picturesque American slang, which she sometimes employed with much effect in her lively conversation — had a special charm for the Empress [...] I think it was largely due to this fascinating American woman that her fellow countrymen and women always had such a warm welcome at the Court of the Tuileries."[5]
Jane Thorne was described as an excellent rider, and often accompanied the empress during riding or hunting.[6] A contemporary described her:
- "She was the finest horsewoman, and yet the most timid person I ever knew; the least trifle terrified her. She had bet very pretty and was exceedingly sweet and amiable."[7]
Legacy
She belongs to the ladies-in-waiting depicted with Eugenie in the famous painting Empress Eugénie Surrounded by her Ladies in Waiting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter from 1855.
References
- ^ Carette Madame: Recollections of the court of the Tuileries (1890)
- ^ https://archive.org/stream/louisnapolonand01martgoog/louisnapolonand01martgoog_djvu.txt
- ^ Seward, Desmond: Eugénie. An empress and her empire. ISBN 0-7509-2979-0 (2004)
- ^ Seward, Desmond: Eugénie. An empress and her empire. ISBN 0-7509-2979-0 (2004)
- ^ Comte Fleury:Memoirs Of The Empress Eugenie Vol-I, 1920
- ^ Seward, Desmond: Eugénie. An empress and her empire. ISBN 0-7509-2979-0 (2004)
- ^ Carette Madame: Recollections of the court of the Tuileries (1890)