Jan 292021
 
Head and shoulders of an androgynous person in female attire

Portrait of d’Éon by Thomas Stewart (1792)

As part of LGBTQ+ History month, London’s Strawberry Hill House hosts a series of online talks which explore the House, its occupants and our cultural understanding of LGBTQ+ history during the long 18th century.

By any measure, Charlotte de Beaumont, Chevalière d’Eon, had a remarkable life. According to her biography she had been a diplomat, spy and calvary officer in the service of the French Crown. In her retirement in London, she became a professional swordfighter and a feminist. She was known to intellectuals such as Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft, and her true gender was the subject of considerable wagers.

Death has not slowed her down. She has given her name to the Beaumont Society, Britain’s oldest support organisation for trans women and cross-dressers. She has even become the star of a Japanese anime series.

Middle-aged smiling woman with long flowing ginger hair

Cheryl Morgan

In this talk, Cheryl Morgan, co-chair of OutStories Bristol, will delve into the story of this trans celebrity and compare the experience of being trans in the 18th Century to today.

Wednesday 17th February 2021 at 7pm

This is an online event. £8 for non-members of Strawberry Hill House. Click here to register.