The British have always loved a man in drag…
Gotta love a painting of an 18th century transvestite french spy made by a British theatre buff!
Here’s how D’Eon’s transvestitism came to pass: He joined King Louis XV’s secret service in 1755, had his first major military posting in London in 1763, before being appointed Plenipotentiary Minister to London. However, within months, he had a falling-out with the ambassador appointed to replace him in London, accusing the ambassador of trying to murder him. D’Eon also made public secret documents and ended up being sent to prison, which he escaped.
Once escaped, D’Eon concealed his identity, reportedly, by dressing as a woman. Gossip about his gender began in 1770, with rumors that people were even betting on whether he was a man or a woman.
“D’Eon refused all offers to confirm or deny the rumor,” Simon Burrows, professor of modern history at the University of Leeds, said in a statement in 2010. “He also demanded the French government pay off his debts and they agreed, terrified he would betray state secrets, including plans to invade England.”
And after that, apparently D’Eon was forced to adopt female dress, and others accepted him as a female. So much so, that the truth was only revealed upon a medical examination after his death on May 21, 1810, which revealed his very male anatomy. Reportedly, his housekeeper did not “recover from the shock for many hours,” according to the gallery.
Maybe Oscar Wilde should have just thrown on a dress and he would have been left alone?
chunter2 