She was in the room when the President of France died. A decade later, she stood trial for murder.
Marguerite Jeanne "Meg" Japy Steinheil was a French socialite whose life intersected with two of the era's most talked-about scandals: the sudden death of a sitting French president, and a highly publicized murder trial in which she was the prime suspect and ultimately acquitted.
A Well-Connected Socialite
Born in 1869, Marguerite married painter Adolphe Steinheil and became known in Parisian society for a series of relationships with prominent and powerful men, cultivating connections that placed her at the center of the political and cultural elite of Belle Époque France.
The Death of a President
Marguerite became the mistress of Félix Faure, the seventh President of France, meeting him at a social event and visiting him regularly at the Élysée Palace. On February 16, 1899, during one of these private visits, Faure suffered a sudden stroke. Marguerite rang urgently for palace staff, who found her adjusting her clothing as Faure lay incapacitated on a sofa. He died within hours. Contemporary accounts held that Faure had suffered the stroke during a sexual encounter with Marguerite, a detail that became one of the most widely repeated pieces of political gossip of the era. A French naval vessel was later named in Faure's honor; it sank a few years afterward.
Murder Allegations
A decade later, in May 1908, Marguerite's husband Adolphe and her mother were found murdered in the family home. Marguerite initially claimed the killers were intruders, describing a mysterious "man with reddish hair" she said had attacked the household, and at one point implicated the family's manservant. Investigators found her account inconsistent and ultimately charged her with both murders.
Trial and Acquittal
Marguerite's 1909 trial drew enormous public attention in France. Despite the suspicion surrounding her shifting accounts, a jury acquitted her of both murders. No one else was ever convicted in connection with the killings, and the case has remained formally unresolved.
Life After the Trial
Following her acquittal, Marguerite eventually relocated to England, where she married Robert Scarlett, 6th Baron Abinger, becoming Baroness Abinger. She lived out the remainder of her life in England, dying in 1954.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Marguerite Steinheil ever convicted of murder?
No. She was tried in 1909 for the murders of her husband and mother and was acquitted by a jury.
Did she really cause the death of a French president?
She was present when President Félix Faure suffered a fatal stroke in 1899, and contemporary accounts described the circumstances as occurring during an intimate encounter between them, though the exact medical cause was simply a stroke.
What happened to Marguerite Steinheil later in life?
She remarried in England, becoming Baroness Abinger, and lived there until her death in 1954.