Xavier de La Chevalerie

Xavier Daufresne de la Chevalerie (January 28, 1920 in Paris – August 21, 2004 in Saint Nazaire). Having joined the Free French forces in July 1940, being a career diplomat, Xavier de la Chevalerie was the Chief of Staff of the President General Charles de Gaulle (1967–1969).

Family background
The ancestors of Xavier de la Chevalerie are mainly French and Belgian.

His father, Christian de la Chevalerie (1895–1966), a Belgian native, once a director of a Champagne-maker Company, married a French girl, Alyette de Beaulaincourt (1890–1976). In 1916, as a wounded of the Belgium Royal military forces, being treated at the hospital of Mortain (Manche), Christian met his wife, a native of Mayenne.

Xavier de la Chevalerie is the nephew of Xavier de Beaulaincourt, Benedictine monk, who was a friend of the General de Gaulle at the school of the Immaculate Conception, rue de Vaugirard in Paris.

Xavier de la Chevalerie is the cousin of Xavier de Beaulaincourt (1920–2003), nephew of the former, private secretary of General de Gaulle (1958–1970).

By his father side, he is the cousin of Guy Daufresne de la Chevalerie (1904–2006), son of General Raoul Daufresne of Chevalerie, Olympic champion in 1920, Commander of the Belgian Royal Free Forces in the UK in 1941-1942. Soldier and diplomat, Guy Daufresne de la Chevalerie participated at the San Francisco Conference.

Xavier de la Chevalerie is also the great grand nephew of the Belgian poet, Auguste Daufresne of Chevalerie.

His sister, Édith de la Chevalerie (1918–1942), died on November 1942, the ship on which she had embarked from Buenos Aires (this one conveying free French soldiers) was sunk by the Kriegsmarine, 850 nautical miles from St. Helena (Island), in the Atlantic Ocean. Through his wife, Marie-Francoise Hislaire, of Belgian origin (1922-1985 - which will give him seven children), he is the step son of René Hislaire (1890–1951), journalist, critic and essayist.

Education
Xavier de la Chevalerie was a student at St. Louis de Gonzague otherwise known as Franklin. Having a law degree, Xavier de la Chevalerie is a graduate of the Ecole libre des Sciences Politiques, 1939 promotion.

Free French Forces
Mobilized in 1940, Xavier de la Chevalerie was incorporated into the 27th Infantry Regiment, the so called regiment of Burgundy. At the announcement of the armistice on June 22 and also answering the Appeal of 18 June made by Charles de Gaulle, he assumed his desertion of the French army by joining the Free French Forces. "I was twenty years old, recalls Xavier de la Chevalerie in his memoirs. I did not forget that I was a deserter, since I fled the 27th Infantry Regiment. However, things seemed simple: since England continued the war, it was my duty to join them. I had a strong sense of resolution being so disgusted by what I saw in France, soldiers breaking out the champagne in welcoming the Armistice."

By then, crossing France was not an easy task. To deceive the vigilance of the military police, he was dressed as a sergeant of the Polish army. With some friends in Saint Jean de Luz, he embarked for England on an old cruise ship, the Arandora Star. Arriving in July 1940 in London, he joined the Free French Forces that, at that time, were a very small group, no more than three thousand soldiers. "During a military review for King George VI, we passed several times in front of him, having in mind to persuade him that the Free French Forces were an imposing force," says Xavier de la Chevalerie.

Xavier de la Chevalerie participated at the failure Battle of Dakar. Arriving in Brazzaville, he joined the Free French African campaign. With the rank of sergeant in 1942, he was responsible for the delivering of twelve armored cars Marmont Harrington for the troops of General Leclerc. Later, he joined the Armoured Cars Company. In 1943, he integrated the 1st spahis Moroccan Regiment (1st RMSM) of Free French Forces.

Diplomatic career
Xavier de la Chevalerie held throughout his career seventeen positions. Shanghai (January 1946 - April 1947), Manila (April 1947 - August 1947), Paris Management Asia Pacific (October 1947 - March 1949), New Delhi (March 1949 - May 1951), Beirut (May 1951 - October 1953), London (March 1954 - February 1957), Tunis (February 1957 - July 1961)

In July 1961, he became the Director of the Office of Georges Gorse, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Cooperation until January 1963.

In January 1967, General de Gaulle chose him as his chief of staff. After the failure of the referendum in April 1969, Xavier de la Chevalerie has organized the visit to Ireland by the General de Gaulle.

Then Xavier de la Chevalerie continued his diplomatic career holding the positions of Ambassador of France in Mexico (1970–1973), Senegal (1973–1975), Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau (1975–1976), in Canada (1977–1979), Japan (1979–1983), the Holy See (1983–1985).

Links
L'ordre de la Libération sur le site de La France libre

Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération

Fondation Charles de Gaulle

Books
Les journées de Mai 1968 à l'Élysée et leur épilogue, Témoignage, Xavier de La Chevalerie, la revue Espoir no 115, 1998. Archives de la Fondation Charles de Gaulle Mémoires éditions Transparence Culturelle, 1988

La Vie Quotidienne A L'Élysée Au Temps De Charles De Gaulle de Claude Dulong L’entourage du général de Gaulle à l’Élysée (janvier 1959-28 avril 1969) » de Eric Chiaradia, Histoire@Politique mai-août 2009

Le deuil de Xavier de Beaulaincourt

Ngolo Seto d’André Guibaut

Poètes et chansons Recueil de vers d'Auguste Daufresne de la Chevalerie (1818–1881), publié en 1877.

La religion des astres d'Anxmandae de Leira