Renée Suzanne de Soucy

Renée Suzanne de Soucy née de Mackau (1758-1841), was a French court office holder. She was royal governess to the children of Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette from 1781 and 1792.

She was the daughter of baron Marie Henri Louis Eleonor Dirkheim de Mackau and Marie Angélique de Mackau, and the sister of Marie-Angélique de Bombelles (1758-1841) and Armand Louis de Mackau (1759-1827). She married her cousin count François-Louis de Fitte de Soucy in 1774.

In 1781, she was appointed one of five sous gouvernante (depute governess) to the royal children: they were placed under the Governess of the Children of France, but normally did most of the daily work. Her mother and her mother-in-law Elisabeth Louise Lenoir de Verneuil de Soucy (1729-1813) were two of the other four sous gouvernante. In contrast to her mother, who was loved by her pupils and respected at court, de Soucy was not as liked by her students, and was described as authoritarian and an intriguer.

Soucy accompanied the royal family to the Tuileries Palace in Paris after the Women's March on Versailles during the French revolution in October 1789. During the Demonstration of 20 June 1792, she, alongside Princess de Lamballe, Madame de Tourzel, the Duchess de Maillé, Mme de Laroche-Aymon, Louise-Emmanuelle de Châtillon, Princesse de Tarente , Marie Angélique de Mackau, Mme de Ginestous, and a few noblemen, belonged to the courtiers surrounding the queen and her children for several hours when the mob passed by the room shouting insults to Marie Antoinette.

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