Charles d'Éon de Beaumont, French diplomat, spy and Freemason, 1728-1810

Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d'Éon de Beaumont, known as the Chevalier d'Éon, was a French diplomat, spy, Freemason and soldier who fought in the Seven Years' War. D'Éon had androgynous physical characteristics and natural abilities as a mimic and a spy. D'Éon appeared publicly as a man and pursued masculine occupations for 49 years. For 33 years, from 1777, d'Éon lived as a woman. After he had lost his pension due to the French revolution, d'Éon supported himself as a female participant in fencing tournaments. He later moved to London and wrote his autobiography.