Élisabeth de Rothschild

French baroness (1902–1945)

Élisabeth de Rothschild in 1935

Élisabeth, Baroness de Rothschild (née Pelletier de Chambure; a.k.a. Lili; 9 March 1902 - 23 March 1945) was a member by marriage of the wine-making branch of the Rothschild family.

## Biography[edit]

Born in Paris as Élisabeth Pelletier de Chambure, into a wealthy Catholic family whose roots were in the Burgundy region. Her ancestors included the Napoleonic general Laurent Augustin Pelletier de Chambure. Known as Lily, she was the daughter of Auguste Pelletier de Chambure, a mayor of Escragnolles, and his wife, née Camille Marie Courtois Desquibes.

In 1923, Élisabeth Pelletier de Chambure married Jonkheer Marc Edouard Marie de Becker-Rémy [Wikidata], a Belgian aristocrat. They had a son, Edouard Jacques Marie Augustin (1924-1984),[1] and a daughter, Philippine Mathilde Camille (1933-2014), though the latter's biological father was French baron Philippe de Rothschild. Rothschild was a member of the prominent banking family and the owner of one of France's most famous vineyards, Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac in the Médoc; he was also a cousin by marriage of her husband.

On 22 January 1934, immediately after her divorce from Becker-Rémy, Élisabeth married Philippe de Rothschild. She converted to Judaism from Catholicism, and the religious ceremony was conducted by Julien Weill, the grand rabbi of Paris.[2] In addition to their daughter, the Rothschilds had a son, Charles Henri (born and died in 1938). Philippe's memoirs (Milady Vine, written in collaboration with British director Joan Littlewood) describe his marriage to Élisabeth as one of great passion but also enormous tempestuousness and despair. The couple's difficulties increased when their son was born deformed and soon died. They eventually separated acrimoniously, and by 1939, the baroness reverted to using her maiden name of Pelletier de Chambure.

Following the German occupation of France in World War II, she and her estranged husband were arrested by the Vichy government and the vineyard property seized. They were then released, whereupon Philippe left France, moving to England, to join the Free French Forces and support General Charles de Gaulle. In 1941, the Gestapo arrested Élisabeth on charges of attempting to cross the line of demarcation with a forged permit and sent her to Ravensbrück concentration camp, located about 50 miles north of Berlin. An alternative story has it that, attending a 1941 showing of couturier Elsa Schiaparelli's new seasonal designs, Élisabeth found herself seated next to the wife of German Ambassador to the Vichy government, Heinrich Otto Abetz. Finding her proximity to Abetz's wife objectionable, Élisabeth changed seats, a social slight which offended the woman. Shortly thereafter, Élisabeth was imprisoned in Ravensbrück.[3]

On his return to France following the Allies' liberation, Philippe de Rothschild learned that the Gestapo had, on charges of attempting to cross a line of demarcation with a forged permit, deported his estranged wife in 1941 to Ravensbrück concentration camp where she died - the cause of her death remains unresolved - on 23 March 1945. Élisabeth reportedly died of epidemic typhus on 23 March 1945 at Ravensbrück, though Philippe's memoir states that she was thrown into a concentration-camp oven, alive.[citation needed]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Edouard never married, though he adopted his half-sister Simone's son, Baron Paul-Emmanuel Descamps (born 1954), who took the surname de Becker-Rémy
2. ^ "Mariage", La Tribune Juive, February 1, 1935, page 88
3. ^ Schiaparelli, Secrest, Meryle, Alfred A. Knopf, 2014, p. 249-50

## References[edit]

* Valynseele, Joseph; Mars, Henri-Claude (2004). Le Sang des Rothschild (in French). Paris: ICC Editions.
* Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Milady Vine, Jonathan Cape, London, 1984.

## External links[edit]

* Media related to Élisabeth de Rothschild at Wikimedia Commons

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Rothschild

General|

* Genealogy of the Rothschild family
* Mayer Amschel Rothschild
* Amschel Mayer Rothschild
* Rothschild Mausoleum
* Rothschild Park
* Prix Rothschild
* Baron Rothschild
* Baron Rothschild (Austria)
* British Empire
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Banking and
companies|

* Rothschild & Co
* RIT Capital Partners
* Edmond de Rothschild Group
* de Rothschild Frères
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* Imerys
* Eramet
* Club Med
* Libération
* Economist Group (The Economist)
* Mouton Cadet
* Opus One Winery
* Chemins de Fer du Nord
* Vítkovice Mining and Iron Corporation
* Palestine Jewish Colonization Association
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* Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway
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Properties|

* Rothschild properties in the Home counties
* Ascott House
* Aston Clinton House
* Champneys
* Eythrope
* Exbury Gardens
* Gunnersbury Park
* Halton House
* Mentmore Towers
* Tring Park Mansion
* Waddesdon Manor
* Spencer House
* Palais Rothschild
* Château Mouton Rothschild
* Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay
* Château Clarke
* Château de Ferrières
* Château Lafite
* Château de Laversine
* Château des Laurets
* Château de la Muette
* Château Rothschild, Boulogne-Billancourt
* Haras de Meautry
* Hôtel Lambert
* Hôtel de Marigny
* Hôtel de Pontalba
* Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild
* Talleyrand Building

Austria|

* Salomon Mayer von Rothschild
* Anselm Salomon von Rothschild
* Mathilde Hannah von Rothschild
* Nathaniel Mayer Anselm von Rothschild
* Ferdinand de Rothschild
* Salomon Albert Anmselm von Rothschild
* Ludwig (Louis) von Rothschild
* Eugéne Daniel von Rothschild
* Jeanne Stuart von Rothschild
* Alice Charlotte von Rothschild

England|

* Alfred de Rothschild
* Amschel Mayor James Rothschild
* Anthony Gustav de Rothschild
* Anthony James de Rothschild
* Anthony Nathan de Rothschild
* Charles Rothschild
* Charlotte Henriette de Rothschild
* David Mayer de Rothschild
* Dorothy de Rothschild
* Edmund Leopold de Rothschild
* Emma Georgina Rothschild
* Evelina de Rothschild
* Evelyn Achille de Rothschild
* Sir Evelyn de Rothschild
* Ferdinand de Rothschild
* Hannah de Rothschild, Countess of Rosebery
* Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild
* Kathleen (Nica de Koenigswarter) Rothschild
* Leopold de Rothschild
* Leopold David de Rothschild
* Lionel de Rothschild
* Lionel Nathan de Rothschild
* Lynn Forester de Rothschild
* Mayer Amschel de Rothschild
* Miriam Louisa Rothschild
* Nathaniel de Rothschild
* Nathan Mayer Rothschild
* Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild
* Nathaniel Philip Rothschild
* Nicky Hilton Rothschild
* Serena Rothschild
* Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild
* Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild

France|

* Alphonse James de Rothschild
* Aline Caroline de Rothschild
* Ariane de Rothschild
* Arthur de Rothschild
* Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild
* Benjamin de Rothschild
* Betty von Rothschild
* Charlotte de Rothschild
* Bethsabée de Rothschild
* David René de Rothschild
* Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild
* Edmond James de Rothschild
* Édouard Etienne de Rothschild
* Edouard Alphonse de Rothschild
* Élie de Rothschild
* Elisabeth de Rothschild
* Guy de Rothschild
* Hélène de Rothschild
* Henri de Rothschild
* Jacqueline Rebecca de Rothschild
* James Armand de Rothschild
* James Mayer de Rothschild
* Marie-Hélène de Rothschild
* Nadine de Rothschild
* Nathaniel Robert de Rothschild
* Nicole de Rothschild
* Pauline de Rothschild
* Philippe de Rothschild
* Philippine de Rothschild
* Salomon James de Rothschild
* Maurice de Rothschild
* Gustave de Rothschild
* Robert de Rothschild
* Alain de Rothschild
* Éric de Rothschild
* Marie Angliviel de la Beaumelle

Naples|

* Charlotte von Rothschild
* Carl Mayer von Rothschild
* Mayer Carl von Rothschild
* Adelheid von Rothschild
* Wilhelm Carl von Rothschild
* Berthe von Rothschild
* Thérèse von Rothschild
* Marguerite de Rothschild
* Bina von Rothschild

* Category: Rothschild family

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

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