Madame de Saint-Laurent

Alphonsine Therese Bernadine Julie de Montgenêt de Saint -Laurent (* 1760 in Saint- Laurent- sur -Mer ) was by marriage Baronne de Fortisson and long-standing mistress of Prince Edward August, Duke of Kent and Strathearn.

Life

Julie de Montgenêt came from an old Norman noble family and came by her husband, Jean Charles de Mestre, Baron de Fortisson, according to Halifax. At a reception of Governor John Wentworth met Madame de Saint- Laurent, as it was called later, the British princes know Eduard ( 1767-1820 ). This was the fourth son of King George III. of Great Britain and Ireland and commander of the British forces in North America. She separated from her husband and went to live with Edward together in Québec. As these 1802 received his appointment as governor of Gibraltar, she accompanied him there.

His brother Frederick Augustus, the second son of the king and commander in chief of the armed forces, he finally dismissed after countless complaints from active service. With the Field Marshal title resigned, but without employment, Edward was with Julie de Saint -Laurent in Knightsbridge privately and at Kensington Palace officially down. Both occurred in many non-profit organizations. As of 1817, only daughter of the Prince Regent, Charlotte Augusta, at the birth of the first child died with this, Edward added the raison d'état and separated by Julie de Saint -Laurent after 27 years. He married the widowed Princess Marie Louise Victoire of Saxe- Coburg -Saalfeld. Their brother was Charlotte's widower Leopold. With de Saint -Laurent compared was the Duchess of something simpler disposition, pretty and rather small.

Although the Duke of Kent died before his three older brothers, but since none of them had a legitimate offspring, his daughter Victoria became queen after the death of William IV. His daughter knew of the connection of her father, but all contemporary biographies respectfully silent about it. About the later life of Julie de Saint -Laurent, little is known. It is believed that she should have lived in a monastery near Brussels.