George Sand and Frederic Chopin - genealogical reason for their love

Young George Sand
(1804-1876)

Lives of George Sand and Frederic Chopin are almost always discussed together. And rightfully so, as their romantic relationship which lasted for ten years had a big influence on both Chopin’s music and Sand’s writings (she used Chopin as a model for prince Karol in her novel Lucrezia Floriani).

However, George Sand – or rather Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil – is a very fascinating figure on her own right. A lover of not only Chopin but also Maurice de Musset, Jules Sandeau, Prosper Mérimée and many other writers and artists… She certainly did not care about strict social norms of the time. To say that she adopted a male name – George – divorced her husband, wore trousers, a hat, and smoke cigars is still not the whole image of her rather extraordinary way of life.

George Sand dressed as a man

Is there any genealogical reason which could bring together a French eccentric divorcee and a patriotic Polish composer? George Sand, born in Paris to an officer of Napoleon – Maurice François Élisabeth (yes, men in France often had female names!) – was raised in a family estate in Nohant by her paternal grandmother… Marie-Aurore de Saxe! She was the only child of Maurice de Saxe, an illegitimate son of the king of Poland – Augustus II the Strong. Sand's great-great-grandfather was not nicknamed the Saxon Hercules without a good reason – he could break horseshoes with his bare hands! Maybe George inherited some small part of his masculine power?

Genealogically speaking, however, the fact that Augustus II was the king of Poland does not make him Polish by blood (Poland was an elective monarchy). He belonged to the Saxon dynasty of Wettin and was a direct male descendant of a 10th century Theodoric I von Wettin who is also a direct male ancestor of the current dynasty in the United Kingdom – Windsors (formerly Saxe-Coburg and Gotha).

Marie Aurore de Saxe
(1748-1821)

While not a direct male descendant of the only indisputable Polish dynasty – Piasts – he undoubtedly had a droplet or two of Polish blood in his veins. Augustus II was a close relative of another Polish king – Anna Jagiellonka – yes, she was a woman but reigning women in Poland were called kings and co-ruled with their husbands. King Anna belonged to a Lithuanian (Lithuania was part of Poland) dynasty of Jagiellons founded in 1386 by Władysław Jagiełło and his wife Jadwiga who was also a king! King Jadwiga was almost 6'0'' tall and was buried with a wooden orb and a sceptre – she had sold her own jewels to support the university in Cracow.

It seems that George had many powerful Polish female family members. Did she subconsciously love Chopin because of his noble Polish blood – and did Chopin love Sand's 'Frenchness' due to his father's French ancestry? Well, genealogy does not cease to surprise as all!


Family tree presenting royal bloodline from George Sand to King Jadwiga of Poland

1. Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, "George Sand" (1804-1876)
2. Maurice François Élisabeth Dupin de Francueil (1778-1808)
3. Marie-Aurore de Saxe (1748-1821)
4. Maurice de Saxe (1696-1750)
5. August II the Strong of Poland (1670-1723)
6. Johann Georg III of Saxony (1647-1691)
7. Johann Georg II of Saxony (1613-1680)
8. Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia (1586-1659)
9. Marie Eleonore of Cleves 1550-1608)
10. Maria of Austria (1531-1581)
11. Anna Jagiellonka of Bohemia and Hungary (1503-1547)
12. Władysław II Jagiellończyk of Hungary (1456-1516)
13. Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk of Poland (1427-1492)
14. Władysław II Jagiełło (ca. 1362-1434), husband of King Jadwiga of Poland

George Sand and Fryderyk Chopin

Note: The only child of King Jadwiga – Elizabeth Bonifacia – died in infancy in 1399 therefore Kazimierz Jagiellończyk is King Jadwiga's stepson. However, he also shared with her some ancestors. Kazimierz's mother – Zofia Holszańska – the fourth wife of Władysław Jagiełło was a distant cousin of his first wife via the Russian house of Rurikids).