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Marie-Louise Coidavid

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Marie Louise Coidavid
Queen consort of Haiti
Tenure26 March 1811 – 8 October 1820
Coronation2 June 1811
Born(1778-05-08)8 May 1778
Bredou, Ouanaminthe,
Saint-Domingue (now Haiti)
Died14 March 1851(1851-03-14) (aged 72)
Pisa, Tuscany (now Italy)
Burial
Convent of the Capuchins, Pisa
SpouseHenri I of Haiti
Issue
FatherM. Melgrin
MotherCélestina Coidavid
ReligionRoman Catholicism

Queen Marie Louise Coidavid (1778 – 11 March 1851[1]) was the Queen of Haiti from 1811 to 1820 as the spouse of Henri Christophe.[2]

Early life

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Marie-Louise was born into a free black family; her father was the owner of Hotel de la Couronne in Cap-Haïtien.[3] Henri Christophe was a slave purchased by her father. Supposedly, he earned enough money in tips from his duties at the hotel that he was able to purchase his freedom before the Haitian Revolution.[4] They married in Cap-Haïtien in 1793, having had a relationship with him from the year prior. They had four children: François Ferdinand (1794–1805), Françoise-Améthyste (d. 1831), Athénaïre (d. 1839) and Jacques-Victor Henry (1804–1820).

At her spouse's new position in 1798, she moved to the Sans-Souci Palace. During the French invasion, she and her children lived underground until 1803.

Queen

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Marie-Louise's children Jacques-Victor Henry, Françoise-Améthyste and Anne Athénaïre (c. 1811 by unknown artist)

In 1811, Marie-Louise was given the title of queen upon the creation of the Kingdom of Haiti. Her new status gave her ceremonial tasks to perform, ladies-in-waiting, a secretary and her own court. She took her position seriously, and stated that the title "given to her by the nation" also gave her responsibilities and duties to perform. She served as the hostess of the ceremonial royal court life performed at the Sans-Souci Palace. She did not involve herself in the affairs of state. She was given the position of Regent should her son succeed her spouse while still being a minor.[5] However, as her son became of age before the death of his father, this was never to materialize.[5]

After the death of the King in 1820, she remained with her daughters Améthyste and Athénaïre at the palace until they were escorted from it by his followers together with his corpse; after their departure, the palace was attacked and plundered. Marie-Louise and her daughters were given the property Lambert outside Cap.[citation needed] She was visited by president Jean Pierre Boyer, who offered her his protection; he denied the spurs of gold she gave him, stating that he was the leader of poor people.[citation needed] They were allowed to settle in Port-au-Prince. Marie-Louise was described as calm and resigned, but her daughters, especially Athénaïre, were described as vengeful.[citation needed]

Exile

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The blue plaque honouring the Queen in situ on 5 Exmouth Place, Hastings

The Queen was in exile for 30 years.[1] In August 1821, Marie-Louise left Haiti with her daughters under the protection of the British admiral Sir Home Popham, and travelled to London. There were rumours that she was searching for the money, three million,[clarification needed] deposited by her spouse in Europe.[citation needed] Whatever the case, she did live the rest of her life without economic difficulties.

In England, they lived in Blackheath, where they were welcomed by prominent abolitionists, and then moved to 49 Weymouth Street, London, where she lived between 1821 and 1824.[6] In October 1822, she took up residence in Hastings, East Sussex, at what is now 5 Exmouth Place with her daughters, who, like many wealthy and aristocratic Londoners, wanted to escape the smog and bustle of central London. In 2022, blue plaques honouring the Queen's time in England were erected and celebrated.[6][7]

The English climate and pollution during the Industrial Revolution was detrimental to Améthyste's health, and eventually they decided to leave.[1]

In 1824, Marie-Louise and her daughters moved in Pisa in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (now Italy), where they lived for the rest of their lives, Améthyste dying shortly after their arrival and Athénaïre in 1839.[1] They lived discreetly for the most part, but were occasionally bothered by fortune hunters and throne claimers who wanted their fortune.[citation needed]

Shortly before her death, Marie-Louise wrote to Haiti for permission to return. She never did, however, before she died in Italy on 11 March 1851. She is buried in the church of San Donnino. A historical marker was installed in front of the church on 23 April 2023, to commemorate the Queen, her daughters and her sister.[1][8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e LeGrace, Benson (1 October 2014). "A Queen in Diaspora: The Sorrowful Exile of Queen Marie-Louise Christophe (1778, Ouanaminth, Haiti-March 11, 1851, Pisa, Italy)". Journal of Haitian Studies. 20 (2): 90–101. ISSN 1090-3488. JSTOR 24340368.
  2. ^ Louis Marceau, María Luisa de Haití, 1778-1851, Buenos Aires: Editorial Raigal, 1953..
  3. ^ Willis, Stuart. "Queen Marie-Louise (pages 153, 161)". The Kingdom of this World. Michigan State University. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  4. ^ Waterman, Charles (1935). "Marie-Louise Christophe". Carib Queens. Bruce Humphries, Inc. pp. 101–106. Archived from the original on 8 September 2009.
  5. ^ a b Louis Marceau, María Luisa de Haití, 1778-1851, Buenos Aires: Editorial Raigal, 1953, pp. 2–18.
  6. ^ a b Motune, Vic (7 February 2022). "Caribbean Queen gets London blue plaque". Voice Online. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  7. ^ hstlsoc_admin. "Unveiling of a blue plaque to Marie-Louise Christophe, Haiti's first and only queen". Hastings & St Leonards Society. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  8. ^ "'I Rise from My Ashes' Memorial Day for Marie-Louise Christophe, Queen of Haiti, Pisa, 23 April 2023". Les amis de la Reine | Je renais de mes cendres. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
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