Gaby Deslys - Early Life

Early Life

Deslys was born Marie-Elise-Gabrielle Caire. She later had many admirers among royalty, most notably King Manuel II of Portugal, and her origins became disputed. A detective employed by an imperial personage claimed that the dancer's true name was Hadiwga Nawrati, or Hedvika Navrátilová, and that she was a Czech peasant girl, born in the village of Horní Moštěnice, then part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The investigator reported that Deslys had denied her alleged mother's claim to kinship when he brought her to see the dancer, paying her a large amount of money to leave. Deslys replied that the story was ridiculous and that she was French, not Czech.

After the death of Deslys, at least twenty-four people with the surname Navratil/Navratilová attempted to claim Deslys's fortune. In January 1930 the French foreign minister of the day said he had settled the dispute about Deslys' birthplace and origins. According to him, Deslys had been born at Marseilles on November 4, 1881, the daughter of Hippolyte Caire and his wife, née Terras. This study found that the claim of the Navrátil family was incorrect and was based on their daughter being the double of Gabrielle Caire, who had adopted the stage name Gaby Deslys. However, friends of the Navrátil family asserted that Gabrielle Caire had either died in obscurity or else remained alive in England. There were also claims that Gabrielle Caire and Hedvika Navrátilová had exchanged identities.