A sword in one hand and an aria on her lips—Julie D’Aubigny refused to live small. We follow her wild arc from a court-trained tomboy who mastered the rapier to a fugitive busking in taverns, then to a contralto who conquered the Paris Opera under the gaze of Louis XIV. Along the way she loved boldly, dressed as she pleased, and treated the law like a suggestion. When a forbidden romance led to a convent heist and a fire, officials sentenced “Sir D’Aubigny” to death by flame, unaware the outlaw they feared was a young woman who sang as fiercely as she fought.

Her comeback reads like theater: a royal pardon, a showstopping debut as a war goddess, and a voice that made audiences forget the scandal while feeding it. At Versailles she kissed a noblewoman on the dance floor, met three offended suitors outside, and beat them one by one before strolling back in like nothing happened. Exile to Brussels brought sharper drama, including a too-real stage stabbing, but Paris couldn’t resist her for long. With a second pardon, she hit her peak—originating roles tailored to her range, embodying sorceresses and queens, and turning her legend into box-office gold.

Beneath the bravado sits a beating heart. We sit with the tender, quieter years when she found real peace with a marquise who matched her fire, only to lose her to a sudden fever. That loss dimmed the spotlight and closed a life that burned fast and bright. Through duels, disguises, and defiance, Julie becomes more than a headline; she’s a queer icon before the term, an athlete of voice and blade, and a reminder that art thrives where courage collides with consequence.

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