Not only notorious for her laision with the President of the Republic, Felix Faure, where she allegedly contributed to his demise in the boudoir - as one policeman recalled - we found Madame Steinheil with her hair disheveled, clothes in disarray and recommended she leave out the salon back door. Madame Steinheil became the mistress of many more men and died years later, a titled Lady in England.
Yet before she left France, as you see on the cover of Le Petit Journal above, she'd been accused of the murder of her husband and mother - in - law, causing another notorious scandal. Madame
Steinheil was acquited by the court (and if she had a laision with the judges history keeps quiet on that score). However not leaving well enough alone, Madame Steinheil the 'grieving' widow insisted her former lover - the chauffeur our equivalent I guess of the 'pool man' murdered her husband and mother-in-law. This allegation amazingly enough did land her time in prison, the female max hi security for that time at Prison Saint Lazare. Accounts from the mid 1800's during Madame Steinheil's sojurn compare it to the painting below. A later famous inmate was Mata Hari. They tore Prison Saint Lazare down in 1932 and by all accounts the interior and conditions were the same.
But given Madame Steinheil's allure, charisma and draw to powerful men I wondered what it signified today. Why hadn't anyone bottled that? Did anyone in the 21st century have that pull, the draw or were courtesans lost in another age? Were they anachronistic in the 21st century, or could I think of anyone? After all the saying goes, Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
I propose for your reading delection, by no means limited to the female gender, two possibilties but you might have more.
On the left Eva Peron who rose from the slums of Argentina to become the dictator Peron's wife. She's revered as a saint years after her death despite proof she pocketed the poor's money and advised Juan sheltering Nazi's could make his government more money.
Guy Ritchie seen with his former Mrs. or Madge as he referred to the Material Girl. Ok he might be a good Dad, makes his own films but what do you think?
Cara - Tuesday
