Jeanne Marie Ignaee Therese Chimay, princess of, born in Saragossa about 1775, died in Belgium, Jan. 15, 1835. She was the daughter of Count Cabarrus, minister of finance in Spain. Married at a very early age to M. de Fontenay, a councillor to the parliament of Bordeaux, from whom she was soon divorced, she became interested in the revolutionary movement, but gave umbrage to the government and was arrested. Tallien, on passing through Bordeaux, fell in love with her, procured her liberation, and finally married her. On her arrival in Paris, her beauty created a great sensation. She took a deep interest in politics, siding with the moderate republicans. She prevailed upon her husband to engage in a plot for the overthrow of Robespierre, and was thus the promoter of the revolution of Thermidor (July, 1794). From this period her house became the centre of the most brilliant society of Paris, and she was for years, but especially during the directory, the queen of fashion. She appeared in the Tuileries in a Greek or Roman costume, remarkable for its transparency, and won admiration by the classical perfection of her person. Such triumphs were far from being agreeable to her husband, who had still more serious causes of complaint.

He left France, first travelling in England, then accompanying Bonaparte to Egypt. On his return to Paris he was divorced from his wife by mutual consent. In 1805 she took as her third husband Count Caraman, Francois Joseph Philippe de Riquet (born Sept. 21, 1773, died March 2, 1843), who soon became prince of Chimay, and lived with him on good terms, residing in Paris, Nice, or at his castle of Chimay in Belgium. She kept for many years her rank among the beauties of France, but was never admitted to the court of Napoleon; and although her husband had access to nearly all the courts of Europe, she was excluded from them, even from that of Belgium, where the prince held the office of first chamberlain to Leopold. Her revolutionary reputation had closed to her the doors of the monarchical world. She was not only a handsome, but a most generous, kind, amiable, and witty woman, always ready to serve even her enemies. A lady whom she had saved from death during the revolution said of her, "If you call Madame Bonaparte our lady of victory, you must call Madame Tallien our lady of good help."