Bernard-François, marquis de Chauvelin (Paris 29 November 1766 – 9 April 1832) was a French nobleman and liberal.

Born in Paris, the scion of an illustrious family, Chauvelin initially followed his father François-Claude Chauvelin as Master of the King's Wardrobe to Louis XVI. However, despite being of noble birth, he had been raised with liberal ideas and welcomed the French Revolution. He fought in the army of the Comte de Rochambeau.

In February 1792, he was married to Herminie Felicienne Joséphine Tavernier-Boullongne de Magnanville and was made assistant ("Ambassador's Cloak") to Talleyrand, ambassador to the Court of St. James. His role in London was to persuade England to remain neutral in the war which was about to break out between France and the King of Bohemia and Hungary. Chauvelin was well received at first and obtained British neutrality but after 10 August, 1792, he was no longer officially recognized at court and following the execution of Louis XVI in January, he was told to get out of England by 1 February, 1793, as the British prepared for war.

On returning to Paris, Chauvelin was sent to Florence as ambassador, but his tenure was unsuccessful, as he was unable to convince the Duke to recognize the new republic. Chauvelin returned to Paris and was jailed as a suspect. He was released after Robespierre's arrest in the Thermidorean Reaction (27 July, 1794).

In 1800, he was elected to the 'Tribunat' and on 14 June, 1804, he was elected to the legislature. That year, Napoleon Bonaparte also appointed him prefect of Lys. Under Napoleon, he became a member of the Council of State, and from 1812 to 1814, governed Catalonia as Intendant-General, being charged to win over the Catalonians to Joseph Bonaparte, his brother's appointee as King of Spain.

In 1816, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, and spoke in favor of liberty of the press and extension of the franchise. Though he was again elected a deputy in 1827, he played no further part in public affairs, finally resigning in 1829. After his resignation, Chauvelin withdrew to the Abbey of Cîteaux in Beaune, where died three years in Paris later from cholera.

[edit] Chauvelin and The Scarlet Pimpernel

In Baroness Emmuska Orczy’s novel The Scarlet Pimpernel and its sequels, the Scarlet Pimpernel's arch enemy throughout most of the series is Citizen Chauvelin, who is loosely based on the real Marquis de Chauvelin. Although there are some similarities between the real and fictional Chauvelins, Orczy's depiction of Chauvelin's career, personality, and history is highly distorted.

[edit] External links

• National Portrait Gallery