Princess Marie-Louise of Madagascar was born on 1 May 1897 as the daughter of Princess Razafinandriamanitra and an unnamed French officer. Her mother was a niece of Queen Ranavalona III of Madagascar and tragically died five days after giving birth to her daughter.
Marie-Louise was conceived during the French occupation of Madagascar, and her mother reportedly “took pleasure in lusting after the French lieutenants.”1 She was also “the talk of the capital’s elite because of her tumultuous love affairs.”2 She was most notably “seriously in love with an orderly officer of Colonel Voyron.”3 She was just 14 years old at the time but already “amicably separated from a husband who’s fed up, and she’s highly courted.”4
In February 1897, the French took complete control of Madagascar. The monarchy was abolished on 28 February 1897. Princess Razafinandriamanitra, by then pregnant, followed her mother, Princess Rasendranoro, to join her aunt, Queen Ranavalona III, in Toamasina. The Queen had refused to leave without her pregnant niece, and it was finally promised that she would follow in a second convoy. They finally arrived on 8 March, and the pregnant Princess could finally rest.
Two days later, they boarded the La Peyrouse, although the Queen’s departure was quite a dangerous operation. The ship headed to Réunion, an island under French rule, where they were to live in exile. They arrived at the capital of St. Denis and settled into the Hotel de l’Europe. Not long after their arrival at the hotel, Princess Razafinandriamanitra went into labour. On 1 May, Marie-Louise was born – the illegitimate child of a Princess and a French officer. She was baptised as a Catholic to appease the people of Réunion in the Saint-Denis Cathedral, with about 20 people present. Queen Ranavalona stayed at the hotel, suffering from agoraphobia.
It soon became clear that Princess Razafinandriamanitra was not recovering quickly from the birth, and she was diagnosed with puerperal fever. There was nothing the doctors could do, and she died on 6 May 1897, leaving little Marie-Louise an orphan. Princess Razafinandriamanitra was buried in Saint-Denis Cemetery.
Queen Ranavalona and her entourage, including Marie Louise, soon moved from the hotel to Madame de Villentroy’s house in Saint-Denis, but they would not be allowed to stay on Réunion. In 1899, the Queen and her entourage boarded the Yang-Tse, which brought them to Marseille in 28 days. The Queen hoped that they would be allowed to settle in Paris. They spent several months in Marseille before being informed that they would be relocated to a villa in Algiers. Little Marie-Louise spent most of her time in the care of servants, along with one of the servants’ daughters.5 It was not a good situation to grow up in, as the household was known to enjoy alcohol a bit too much. One indescrete servant told a tram full of people that “they drink like fish!”6
In May 1901, Queen Ranavalona was finally permitted to visit France, and she took Marie-Louise with her. A ship took them to Marseille, and a train later took them to Paris. During stops, little Marie-Louise waved at people outside. They end up staying in Paris for a month. Journalists are fascinated by her and also by little Marie-Louise, who is mocked for her origins. When asked by a reporter what she wanted to be when she grew up, Marie-Louise answered, “I will be a general!”7 Shortly before their departure from France, Marie-Louise came down with a bit of a cold.8 Over the next few years, the Queen would be allowed to travel to France several times, and Marie-Louise usually accompanied her.
By 1908, Marie-Louise was sent to the Lycée de Jeunes filles de Versailles. She still spent time with her great-aunt, and her living expenses came out of the Queen’s allowance she received from the government of Madagascar. After her health declined – she suffered from prolonged nosebleeds and colds – she was enrolled in private classes with Mademoiselle Cornu in Versailles. Her condition soon began to improve again. She lived with the protestant Groszer sisters, who took great care of her.9
On 23 May 1917, Queen Ranavalona died suddenly of an embolism at the age of 55. This made the now 20-year-old Marie-Louise the next head of the dynasty and titular Queen of Madagascar. She continued to receive a pension from the government of Madagascar, but it could not have been much, as she had to take a job as well. On 24 June 1921, Marie-Louise married André Bossard, an agricultural engineer. During the war years of 1939 and 1945, Marie-Louise worked as a nurse and earned the Legion of Honour.
Her life after her great-aunt’s death is somewhat obscure. She and her husband never had any children, and they eventually divorced. She was known to have been elegant, and she smoked Lucky Strike cigarettes. Her nickname was Loulou, and she remained close friends with the Groszer sisters.10
Marie-Louise, the would-be Queen of Madagascar, died on 18 January 1948 in Bazoches-sur-le-Betz, Loiret, France. She was 50 years old. She was buried in the Cimetière de Montreuil.
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.228
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.221
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.221
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.219
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.287
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.303
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.318
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.323
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.345
- Ranavalona, dernière reine de Madagascar by Marie-France Barrier p.350
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