Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24
IMPERIAL ROMANCE
STORY OF THE NOTED COUNTESS
DE BEAUREaARD.

DE BEAUREGARD.
Special Cablegram to The Star.
LONDON, November 23.-A romance as
ISOLATED with the career Of Napoleon III.
both in his time Of perjury and his period
Of imperial splendor. is recalled by an ap-
plication made in the chancery court here.
No reference was made in court to the
late emperor of the French, hut mention
Of the Countess de Beauregard let in the
light upon this celebrated Napoleonic
liaison. The matter arose in the prosaic
form Of an application to Mr.. Justice Par
ker for the distribution Of the Trelawney
estate Of nearly 100000. This was. In
fact, remnant Of the beautiful Countess
de Beauregard's estate. Her son, the ten
ant for life. Count Martin de Bechevet.
died in August last. leaving son and two
daughters.
The property consisted Of sum Of $780,
GOO and Of securities valued at over $780,
600. which were discovered in q box now
in the care of the court This box has
been opened by an order Of his lordship
and CLOSED" after investigation Of the
securities. A further order was now nee
essary for the reopening Of the box for
the purpose of realizing the securities prior
to the partition of the estate. Mr.. Buck
master, X. c., stated that the Legal and
General Insurance Company had claim
for about $500, 900 in respect of advances
made on mortgages, subject to the pay
ment Of two annuities amounting to 81, 500
to two old English servants Of the Count
ess de Beauregard. mother Of Count Mar
tin. Counsel appearing for the annuitants
did not dispute the claim Of the Legal and
General Insurance Company. but desired
that their interests should be secured. Mr..
Buckmaster agreed to this being done, and
his loriship referred the matter to cham
Of the estate should be apportioned be-
tween the three children Of Count Martin,
and granted leave for the box to be re-
opened.
She Followed Napoleon.
The Countess de Beauregard was the
beautiful Miss Howard. whose name is in
dissolubly connected with the second en-
pire. Famous in a portion OF London
society during the forties, a mutual SYM
pathy sprang up between her and the ex
lied Bonaparte, who at that time was
man about town. 1t Is certain that she
helped him with money then; and 1t was
only natural that when his star came in
the ascendant she should follow him to
France.
While he was prince president and dur
ing the early days Of the empire she oc-
cupied a house at the foot Of the Rue du
| Cirque. near heElysee Palace, where
passed. He dined there playd cards
| there and. indeed, treated the house as
his domstic corner Of the EARTH If ever
he was demonstrated with and told that
he ought to marry he would answer that
he was too old. and that the public need
not grudge him those moments of cessa-
ton from business and anxiety. These
still continued, and Miss Howard still
continued to help him with her purse.
1t was in 1851. when some of his promis-
taut banker Of the Palais Royal. that
she had to spend a part Of her remain
| ing resources.
However considerable may have been
the wealth she had acquired in Eng
land, the amount of money paid to
her by Napoleon was so enormous that.
besides embracing the reimbursement of
her advances, it obviously included a
very lavish inlemnity,
Moreover, whatever may have been
her original motives in assisting Ma
poleon, it Is certain that after the success
of the coup d'etat she aspired to play the
part Of a Pompadour or a DuBarry. She
chung to Napoleon tenaciously, unwilling
to allow him out OF her sight; and when
he took up his residence at the Chateau
of St. Cloud, during the months preced-
ing the proclamation Of the empire, she
insisted on quarters being found for her
there, in spite of the damaging, scandal
Gus talk which her presence might give
rise.
We know by the admissions OF Count
Fleury that she was secretly lodged in
| some OF the smaller ground-fioor rooms,
whence she kept watch upon all that oc-
Cured. When Napoleon had ultimately
decided to marry the lady who is known
to history as the Empress Eugene his
intimate, Macquard, was Entrusted with
the task Of breaking the news to Miss
Howard.
Golden Heart Salve.
Macquard contrived to lure Miss How
| ard to LIE Havre to prevent her from see
| ing the newspapers and to keep her in ig-
| norance Of what was passing in Paris I'M
til Intervention on her part could be of no
avail. True, after storming and raving
| and fainting and weeping, she might still
have attempted some desperate but futile
| effort had she not been informed that II
she evinced any disposition to perpetrate
| an act Of folly she would be Immediately
| taken down to the port and placed aboard
| a ship sailing for America.
So She thought better of 1t and accepted
| the consultations which her faithless lover
proposed to bestoW on her. These COM
prised the chateau and estate OF Beau
Cloud to Versailles. He gave her also
| the title of Countess de Beauregard, "a
proceeding which offended an existing
Beauregard family. with the result that
although no change was made respect
| ing Miss Howard personally. different
| title, that Of Count de Bechevet, was ul-
| timately conferred on her son, Martin
Constantine The pecuniary solace
reached quarter of million sterling.
After remaining in comparative retire
ment for some years. Miss Howard was
| suddenly seized with desire to show
| herself once more to the Parisians, and
| particularly to the emperor and empress
| During the seasons Of 1864'65 she fire.
quently appeared in the Champs Elysees
and the Bois de Boulogne, driving pair
of superb bays, and maneuvering in such
fashion as to meet their majesties'
equipage as often as possible and stare at
| them. Again. at theatrical performances,
she would turn her glasses with annoy
ing persstency on the imperial box and
1t was even said that she received a eau
ton on the subject. But she was near
her end. On August 10. 1855. she passed
away at the chateau of Beauregard. and
although there were people ready to as
sert that her death could not have been
due to natural causes. there does not seem
to be the slightest reason-excepting en-
nifty of the empire-for any suspicion of
foul play.
Tn 1857 Miss Howar d's son the Count de