Bashkirtseff
Orig | CZ

Berthe (Berthe Boyd, Mlle Boyd)

Moderate Aktualizováno: 2025-12-07

Research Status: Moderate Last Updated: 2025-12-07 Diary Coverage: Book 00 (1870 Baden-Baden), Book 02 (1873 Nice)

Identity Confirmed

Berthe is Berthe Boyd, also referred to as "Mlle Boyd" in Marie's diary. She was a 12-year-old English girl from an aristocratic family whom Marie first met in Baden-Baden around 1870.

First Encounter: Baden-Baden (c. 1870)

In her 1884 retrospective (Book 00), Marie recounts a formative childhood memory of meeting Berthe in Baden-Baden:

The Children's Hierarchy

Marie observed groups of children near the casino and "immediately distinguished the chic group" - she "had only one dream: to be part of it." Berthe was part of this elite children's society.

The Humiliating Approach

Berthe approached Marie to speak with her. Marie was so excited and nervous that "I said stupid things and the whole group made fun of me outrageously" ("tout le groupe se moqua outrageusement de moi"). This rejection became one of Marie's most painful childhood memories about social exclusion.

The Boyd Family's Status

  • Berthe's age: 12 years old (in Baden-Baden c. 1870)
  • Nationality: English
  • Family name: Boyd (full name: Berthe Boyd)
  • Sisters: "Several ravishing older sisters" who were social leaders in Baden-Baden ("tenant le haut du pavé à Bade")
  • Social connections: "Connected with all the children of aristocratic families who knew her family"
  • Romantic interest: Had a 13-year-old "sweetheart" named Rémy de Gonzalès Moreno

Class Contrast

Marie makes a sharp observation about the social divide:

"She [Berthe] was connected with all the children of aristocratic families who knew her family. Mine knew no one and wallowed in roulette and trente-et-quarante."

The Boyd family's social connections versus the Bashkirtseffs' gambling habits epitomized Marie's painful awareness of class hierarchy.

Later Appearance: Nice (1873)

September 1, 1873

Three years after Baden-Baden, Berthe reappears as a rival for the Duke of Hamilton. Marie's mother mentions: "Et comment Berthe a dit que Hamilton l'épousera absolument" (And how Berthe said that Hamilton will absolutely marry her). This claim devastates Marie and intensifies her jealousy.

Continuity of Social Circles

The fact that Berthe Boyd appears in both Baden-Baden (1870) and Nice (1873) in connection with Marie suggests:

  • The Boyd family frequented the same fashionable resort circuits as the Bashkirtseffs
  • Berthe continued to be part of Marie's social world despite the earlier humiliation
  • The international aristocratic society was small and interconnected

Role in Marie's Emotional Life

Berthe represents:

  • A Romantic Threat: Someone who claims Hamilton will marry her
  • Social Competition: Part of the same social circles competing for eligible men
  • Source of Anxiety: Her claims about Hamilton cause Marie significant distress

Social Context

In the 1870s Nice winter season, young women of marriageable age from wealthy families competed for the attention of eligible bachelors. The Duke of Hamilton, as one of the wealthiest and most titled young men, was the ultimate prize. Berthe's confident claims about marrying him would have been seen as either:

  • Based on real encouragement from Hamilton
  • Bold social maneuvering
  • Wishful thinking

Relationship to Other Figures

  • Duke of Hamilton: Object of her matrimonial ambitions
  • Boyd Family: Possibly related or connected
  • Marie Bashkirtseff: Rival for Hamilton's affections

Historical Note

The competition between young women for eligible men in 19th century high society was intense and often cruel. Public claims about engagements or promises of marriage were serious matters that could damage reputations if proven false.

Questions for Further Research

  • ✓ Confirmed: Berthe's last name is Boyd
  • Did she have any real connection to Hamilton, or was it wishful thinking?
  • What happened to her after Hamilton's engagement to Lady Mary Montagu?
  • ✓ Confirmed: She was part of the British expatriate aristocratic community
  • Did the Boyd sisters make notable marriages?
  • How long did Berthe remain in Marie's social orbit?

Related Entries

%% 2025-06-30T21:30:00 RSR: Created entry for Berthe based on September 1873 references %% %% 2025-12-07T15:30:00 RSR: Updated with Book 00 information confirming identity as Berthe Boyd, adding Baden-Baden childhood encounter details, and establishing the painful social exclusion theme that would mark Marie's life %%