Genlis, Félicité, comtesse de (1746-1830)

Genlis, Félicité, comtesse de

WRITER (FRANCE)

BORN 25 Jan 1746, Champcéry, Saône-et-Loire - DIED 31 Dec 1830, Paris
BIRTH NAME Crest de Saint-Aubin, Caroline Stéphanie Félicité du
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 24, ligne 08 (M: Q 20))

Caroline Stéphanie Félicité du Crest de Saint-Aubin was the daughter of Pierre César du Crest (1711-1763), who became Marquis de Saint-Aubin. He was heavily in debt and sold their home in 1757. She lived at different estates with her mother. When they lived with Alexandre Le Riche de La Poupelinière she was taught ballet by a master of the Comédie-Française, singing by Ferndinando Pellegrini. She also learned to play the harp and would earn money with her playing in later years. Her father introduced her to Charles-Alexis Brûlart, Comte de Genlis (1737-1793) and she married him on 8 November 1763 after her father had died. They had three children.

On a holiday in Liguria she wrote her first novel "Adèle et Thèodore" and it was published in 1782. Her relative Madame de Montesson (1738-1806) married Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans and she became lady-in-waing to Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, the wife of the Duke's son Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Chartres. Soon she started an affair with the Duke of Chartes. After it ended he appointed her governess to his daughters in 1777. Madame de Montesson set up her own private theatre and together with Stéphanie Félicité she wrote plays for it. They were attended by aristocrats and writers.

In 1793 her husband and the former Duke of Chartres, now Duke of Orléans and known as Philippe Égalité were both executed and Stéphanie Félicité fled to Switzerland with her pupil Adélaïde d'Orléans (1777-1847). In 1794 she went to Berlin and she lived in Germany until Napoleon came to power in 1799. He knew her aunt and gave her a small pension. In 1802 her novel "Mademoiselle de Clermont" was published. Jane Austen read her work and made a reference to it in "Emma" (1815).

After the restoration of the Bourbons her pension was cancelled and she lived from her writing. In 1822 her "Diners du Baron d'Holbach" led to literary quarrels. In 1830 her former pupil Louis Philippe became king. She died on 31 December of the same year. She was buried at the Mont-Valérien cemetery in Suresnes and later her remains were transferred to Père Lachaise in Paris.

Related persons
• is uncle/aunt of Ducrest, Georgette
• is grandparent of Woestine, Anatole Charles Alexis de la

Images
The grave of Stéphanie, comtesse de Genlis at Père Lachaise, Paris. Picture by Androom (02 Nov 2019)	The grave of Stéphanie, comtesse de Genlis at Père Lachaise, Paris. Picture by Androom (02 Nov 2019)	The grave of Stéphanie, comtesse de Genlis at Père Lachaise, Paris. Picture by Androom (02 Nov 2019)