The Incredible Story Of The Ultimate Femme Fatale, Mata Hari

For years, Mata Hari was a name that was beloved across Paris, but things didn’t always start that way. In fact, life for Mata Hari was always far from the joy that so many have been led to believe, and it all started with a decision that would change everything forever.

The incredible story of the ultimate femme fatale, Mata Hari, is a twisted tale of heartbreak and misery, but one that will never be forgotten. After all, if there was one thing she was always determined to do, it was to get her family back together - no matter what.

Mata Hari’s childhood turned around when her father invested in the oil industry

Even though Mata Hari went on to become known as the ultimate femme fatale, things weren’t always that way. In fact, she was born as Margaretha Zelle back on August 7, 1876, and was ultimately the only girl out of her parents’ four children. Margaretha grew up in Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, where her dad owned a successful hat business.

As his shop was doing so well, Margaretha’s dad decided to invest his money into the oil industry, something that ultimately made the family incredibly wealthy. With their new riches, the children could attend private school, enjoy designer clothes, and even ride in their own custom carriage. Sadly, the new wealth wouldn’t last forever, with everything soon crashing down.

A stock market crash saw the Zelle family lose their fortune in a matter of weeks

By the time Margaretha Zelle turned 13 years old, her new privileged life had come to an abrupt and unfortunate end. Her father was seemingly addicted to the high that came with seeing his money turn into a fortune through the oil industry, and it wasn’t long before all of their money was invested in the hopes of making more.

Sadly, some questionable decisions and an unstable market meant the thing that made them so rich also caused the Zelle family to go from incredibly wealthy to bankrupt in a matter of weeks. There were no more private schools, fancy clothes, or private carriages. Unfortunately, the stock market crash did more than affect the family’s finances.

Losing her mother marked another huge change in Margaretha Zelle’s life

While things in the Zelle’s finances were bad, the relationship between Margaretha’s parents was even worse. Antje van der Meulen and Adam Zelle felt the incredible amount of pressure that came with their lives changing once again, and it wasn’t long before they decided to file for a divorce and go their separate ways. Sadly, things still got worse.

Two years after their divorce, Margarehta’s mother passed away in 1891. It was a huge surprise to the family, with things changing once again when Margaretha’s father remarried within another two years. The problem? His new wife apparently made Margaretha’s life miserable, with the youngster ultimately shipped off to live with her godfather, something they would later regret forever.

Getting a new job was supposed to start turning Margaretha Zelle’s life around

By 17 years old, Margaretha Zelle was away from her family and forced to try and find a way to make ends meet. Ultimately, she opted for a seemingly innocent career compared to the one that would eventually make her so famous. It appeared Margaretha had a passion for teaching and settled on life as a kindergarten teacher.

Thankfully, it was a role that Margaretha loved, but things took a turn when the school principal allegedly started to flirt with the young teacher. Feeling incredibly uncomfortable and sharing the news with her godfather only left one thing to do: her godfather demanded that Margaretha leave her teaching job immediately. Sadly, the youngster had to agree.

Losing her job introduced Margaretha Zelle to a man who would change everything for the worst

Perhaps understandably, Margaretha Zelle was feeling pretty defeated. After all, she had just lost a job that she loved due to someone else and felt like she was completely lost in the world. As a result, Margaretha ended up moving once more, this time to The Hague in the Netherlands, to live with her uncle.

Unfortunately, this is where Margaretha met the man who would change everything. She was 18 years old when Margaretha answered an ad posted by 38-year-old Rudolph MacLeod, a Dutch Colonial Captain living in Indonesia. He was looking for a wife, and a whirlwind romance saw them married four months after answering his ad. Sadly, things soon took a turn.

Margaretha Zelle quickly learned Rudolph MacLeod was a monster in disguise

Once they were married, Rudolph MacLeod moved Margaretha to an island in Indonesia called Java, which was a part of the Dutch Indies at the time. Here, she was completely isolated from her loved ones. While Rudolph’s financial and social status elevated Margaretha’s life like never before, she quickly learned her new husband was far from a nice man.

Rudolph was incredibly vicious behind closed doors, especially when he had been drinking, with the Colonial Captain often spitting in his wife’s face and making threats against her. To make matters even worse, it turned out Rudolph had a host of mistresses on the side. The issue? He would become incredibly violent if Margaretha even spoke to another man.

Leaving her abusive husband finally saw Mata Hari enter the world

Being young and desperate to escape saw Margaretha Zelle look for anyone to help. Ultimately, the help came from another Dutch officer called Van Rheedes. In a bold - and potentially dangerous - move, Margaretha left her husband for the man, with Van Rheedes quickly encouraging the youngster to find her true passion in life. Amazingly, the encouragement worked.

In fact, Margaretha threw herself into Hinduism, Indonesian traditions, and dance, with her new interests forming her new identity. When Margaretha wrote a letter home, she informed them she was now living as Mata Hari. Sadly, Mata began to think that Rudolph MacLeod around this time and returned to her abusive husband, but he was worse than ever.

Returning to her husband only caused more heartache for Mata Hari

Rudolph MacLeod started humiliating Mata Hari in public and threatened her life. However, she felt locked in her marriage. At one point, Mata said she returned home to find her husband “crazed and deranged,” with the outburst unlike any before. Apparently, Rudolph lunged at her with a knife, with Mata thanking the fallen chair that helped her escape.

Despite the abuse, Mata stayed and eventually welcomed two children with her husband. She named her son Norman John and her daughter Louise Jeanne, but things took a tragic turn in 1899 when they both became mysteriously ill. Although she did everything she could, Norman John lost his life to the strange illness at just two years old.

Everyone was placing the blame as to who ended Norman John’s life on everyone else

Overcome with grief, both Mata Hari and Rudolph MacLeod started to blame the same person for their son’s passing: the nanny. They claimed she had punished their children by poisoning them, but there was no proof. Others started to think that one of Rudolph’s enemies was to blame, but historians now have another theory as to what really happened.

Rudolph was known to have a host of affairs, and it’s believed he might have unknowingly given his wife an infection that continually got worse. Even though it is treatable nowadays, it can often go unnoticed at first and can lead to someone losing their life without medication. Rudolph’s actions might have finally caught up to him.

Louise Jeanne initially survived, but complications from the infection later claimed her life too

While we will likely never know what really happened, there’s a chance Mata Hari and Rudolph MacLeod both knew they had the infection and could have known they passed it on to their children. As they tried to frantically treat the symptoms, the parents may have caused more harm than good as the complications caused Norman John to pass away.

Although Louise Jeanne initially survived, she too was left permanently scarred and tragically fell sick again later in life. By 21 years old, she was gone, with many thinking complications from the infection ended Louise Jeanne’s life, too. So, where did the stories of the nanny come from? It could have been Mata and Rudolph trying to cover their tracks.

Trying to leave Rudolph MacLeod proved to be easier said than done for Mata Hari

After living away from the rest of her family for so long, Mata Hari and Rudolph MacLeod eventually moved back to the Netherlands in 1902. However, losing her son and the never-ending abuse from her husband ultimately saw Mata walk away from the marriage. However, this merely spelled more issues. For one, Rudolph refused to sign the divorce papers.

He also knew women had little say in the courts at the time, with Rudolph getting the case thrown out. Still, Mata wasn’t going down without a fight. She used a confidential area of the judge’s chambers to open up about the abuse, adding Rudolph made her seduce wealthy men so he could “catch them together” and later blackmail them.

Rudolph MacLeod did everything he could to control every aspect of Mata Hari’s life

Even with all of the stories she had, it took four years of fighting before Mata Hari was no longer legally tied to Rudolph MacLeod. Even though she was supposed to be free of him, Rudolph was far from thrilled with the split. In retaliation, he spread false rumors about Mata, even convincing local stores to refuse her a job.

Mata initially tried to take the high road, but it seemed her ex-husband was always going to have some kind of control over her life. When the court gave Mata full custody of Louise Jeanne, Rudolph refused to pay child support. As a result, Mata was left with no job, no husband, and no way to provide for her daughter.

Mata Hari was eventually forced to make an impossible decision surrounding their daughter

It seemed that no matter what Mata Hari did, she was always going to be under Rudolph MacLeod’s control in some way. The final straw came when he had taken their daughter for the day, only for Rudolph to refuse to give her back. Initially, Mata had no idea what to do but was forced to make a tough decision.

After all, she knew Louise Jeanne had a roof over her head, had access to food, and could enjoy everything Mata just couldn’t provide right now. It was a huge decision, but Mata eventually decided to give Rudolph full custody of their daughter while she tried to raise enough money to provide for Louise Jeanne properly.

Getting desperate for money saw Mata Hari begin to relax her morals

Of course, Mata Hari was heartbroken about having to leave her daughter with the man who had abused her for so long, but she felt like she had no other choice. With no chance of earning money in her home nation, Mata eventually decided to move from the Netherlands to Paris, France, in hopes of turning things around.

Initially, Mata found small jobs working as a servant, giving German lessons, and teaching piano, all while living as frugally as possible to save up money to send back to Louise Jeanne. However, she was desperate, with Mata eventually agreeing to work as a partially-clothed model and a risqué-dressed horse rider for an act at the circus.

She continued to delve further into the darker working world in a bid to earn money

Even though falling in love with Indonesian traditions was what helped Mata Hari enter the world, she was still too unconfident to use the name on stage. Instead, Mata performed as Lady MacLeod. Of course, using her married name didn’t sit well with her ex-husband or her farmer in-laws, with both finding Mata’s new career utterly shameful.

They didn’t realize this was just the beginning. In fact, Mata was about to sink even further into darker work. Being cold, hungry, and utterly broke, Mata began to work as a lady of the night. Still, she begged for people not to judge her, later writing she’s not “bad at heart,” she “[did] it only out of poverty.”

Hitting rock bottom gave Mata Hari the push she needed to wave goodbye to Lady MacLeod

She tried everything, but nothing Mata Hari ever did saw her financially recover. She threw away everything she once thought was right just to try and raise money, even living on the bare minimum in the hopes of getting Louise Jeanne back, but nothing ever worked. Eventually, Mata wrote to her family about how she thought about ending her life.

Thankfully, her daughter was always in her mind, and Mata eventually pulled herself out of the dark place she was in, ready to fight once more. She moved away from the circus, soon finding work as an exotic dancer. Mata even had a booking agent, Gabriel Astruc, with Lady MacLeod moving to one side in favor of Mata Hari.

Turning Mata Hari into a character saw her become an overnight sensation across Paris

For ten years, Mata Hari dominated Paris’ nightclub scene, with people instantly entranced by it all. Where had she been? How was she so seductive? Where had Mata been this entire time? A lot of this was down to Gabriel Astruc’s style, as he was known for his savvy management style, with the pair creating the perfect exotic character.

Now, Mata was a lost Hindu princess from Indonesia, with her performances, including one with seven veils, supposedly being a part of her cultural upbringing. Paris couldn’t get enough. Her debut show came on March 13, 1905, with Mata performing a piece starting with several revealing fabrics that would be removed layer by layer until Mata’s curvaceous figure was left.

Not removing her undergarments proved to be one of the best decisions Mata Hari made

Even though she seemed to be brimming with confidence on the stage, Mata Hari was incredibly insecure behind the scenes. Even though she would remove layers of fabric, Mata was always left wearing her jeweled headdress, glistening armbands, and her undergarments. Apparently, she was incredibly conscious of what she believed was her smaller chest, meaning she wanted to be covered.

Amazingly, this decision proved to be one of her best. It turned out Rudolph MacLeod had been keeping tabs on his ex-wife and was furious with her success, hoping to find ammunition to use against her. As a result, Rudolph stole some of Mata’s more risqué photos to show a judge to try and prove she was an unfit mother.

Branching out with her work introduced Mata Hari to some incredibly wealthy men

Mata Hari was making a decent amount of money through her exotic dancing, but it was her time as a high-society escort that really introduced her to the top men of the time. Now, plenty wanted Mata to be their mistress, including a wealthy German businessman called Herr Kepert. Eventually, their relationship lasted for around a year.

However, the effects of their resulting friendship would eventually come back to haunt Mata. When things ended with Herr, Mata began an affair with millionaire high-society industrialist Émile Étienne Guimet. At last, she was financially stable as she continued to blur the lines between a performer and a lady of the night, but things weren’t going entirely to plan.

Getting desperate to see her daughter began to take a toll on Mata Hari’s stage show

In Malay, Mata Hari translates to “eye of the day,” meaning the sun. The name was perfect for Mata, as she shone on stages across the world. After performing in Monte Carlo, Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, Mata was struggling to hide just how much she missed her daughter, Louise Jeanne, or Little Non, as she called her.

Even though she was busy, Mata would write to Louise Jeanne every week. Unfortunately, the letters were always returned unopened, with Rudolph MacLeod refusing any contact between the pair. Things got so bad that Mata tried to unsuccessfully kidnap her daughter, with her desperate state starting to shine through during her stage show. By 1910, Mata’s light was dwindling.

Mata Hari’s adoring fans quickly turned into her harshest critics

Losing her enthusiasm for her performance saw Mata Hari’s fame start to take a nosedive in 1910, with those who once praised her now becoming her biggest critics. People initially thought Mata’s show was creative and artistic, but now they claimed she was exposing her body to gain an audience instead of using any kind of talent.

She tried to tune out the hate, but the negative comments continued to take a toll on Mata’s career. Some even added she was showing her age, and they weren’t alone. At one point, the Russian ballet asked Mata to perform, but when she stripped down to be measured for her costume, Mata was told she was no longer needed.

Retiring saw Mata Hari turn to a new career, but it came with some huge consequences

Working as an exotic dancer for years really changed the game in so many ways. After all, no one had seen burlesque dancing teamed with dances from a foreign land until Mata Hari came along. However, as younger dancers tried to recreate her success, Mata knew it was time to retire, with her final performance coming on March 13, 1915.

However, she was always one to adapt. Mata wasn’t sad about her career ending and instead began working as a courtesan. Being known as a seductive temptress meant Mata had a long line of wealthy men all wanting to be by her side. It allowed her to travel and be financially stable, but Mata’s new career had its consequences.

Mata Hari was all too aware of where her life was heading with her new career

It turned out Mata Hari was all too aware of the consequences of her acting, admitting to her brother through letters that she knew how things could play out. Either she would “behave like a decent mother” and regain custody of Louise Jeanne, or Mata would “enjoy the beautiful life offered” and never see her daughter again.

Whatever the case, Mata “know[s] that life ends in tragedy.” That proved to be correct, with Mata’s new career putting her on the path to disaster. World War I began in 1914, and by 1916, Europe was filled with tragedy. Despite the chaos, Mata fell for a man 20 years her junior in the form of Captain Vadim Maslov.

An intelligence officer made Mata Hari an offer she couldn’t refuse

After signing up for the war in 1916, Vadim Maslov was shot down while fighting against German troops. He was severely wounded and ultimately lost an eye, with Mata Hari desperate to be by his side. Sadly, as she was from the Netherlands, Mata wasn’t allowed to enter Germany. It was then French Intelligence Officer Georges Ladoux made an offer.

Georges promised Mata that she could see Vadim so long as she could manipulate information about Germany’s strategies in the war from one of her former lovers, the Crown Prince of Germany, Wilhelm. The dancer was determined to be by her lover’s side and felt she had no choice but to accept, so she agreed to Georges’ terms.

Historians differ about what Mata Hari really did throughout her time as a spy

It seemed like the perfect plan to use Mata Hari’s connections as she had performed for the Crown Prince a number of times in the past. However, Wilhelm was never included in any of Germany’s plans for the war; he was merely the poster boy for the country’s public relations. The French Intelligence Agency simply assumed he was involved.

Still, this is where historians start to differ. Some believe that Mata traveled to Madrid to talk to an ambassador about meeting the Crown Prince. This would have fulfilled what Georges Ladoux wanted her to do. However, others believe Mata told the ambassador about Georges’ plan, crossing the French Intelligence Officer and proving herself a double agent for Germany.

No one is entirely sure why Mata Hari might have betrayed France

If Mata Hari really was a double agent, what was her motivation, and why did she betray France? Some scholars argue that Mata was merely interested in earning money to either pay for her lover, Vadim Maslov, to flee Europe or to help get her daughter, Louise Jeanne, back into her life. Others think things were more sinister.

Some modern historians now believe Mata was merely doing as she was told by Georges Ladoux. They claim that Georges stated Mata would be given easy access to the Crown Prince if she offered to become a German sky and betray France. While we may never know the truth, the outcome was always going to end one way for Mata.

Some argue the German troops deliberately revealed the identity of H-21 to the French

By January 1917, everything changed when French agents intercepted letters sent by German Intelligence and decoded messages meant for a spy named H-21. Even though they were in code, the description wasn't, with the letters talking about a spy that read as the spitting image of Mata Hari. It didn't take long for French Intelligence to figure it out.

It might seem like a huge breakthrough for France, but the circumstances are incredibly suspicious. When the messages were sent about H-21, the Germans knew the code had already been deciphered by French Intelligence. Plus, they offered an extremely detailed description of their spy, with many arguing they deliberately revealed that Mata was, in fact, H-21.

Mata Hari never had what it took to be a spy for any country

Of course, the idea that the Germans deliberately revealed Mata Hari’s identity has sparked new theories. This time, some believe that Mata merely offered gossip about the personal lives of French generals and politicians and didn’t provide them with anything worthwhile. Thinking she was a waste of time, General Walter Nicolair could have exposed Mata to get her gone.

She might have had a reputation for being cunning, but Mata didn’t have what it took to be a spy, either for Germany or France. Georges Ladoux often received uncoded messages from Mata. Plus, when she was captured by British troops, Mata openly confessed she was a spy. Sadly, she was quickly labeled a liability by all sides.

The court case saw Mata Hari accused of ending thousands of lives

With the new evidence stacking up against her, it wasn’t long before Mata Hari was arrested and charged with double espionage. However, things took an even crazier turn at her trial when Mata was accused of causing 50,000 people to lose their lives due to her traitorous behavior. Amazingly, this led to Mata’s most famous line of them all.

During her trial, Mata exclaimed, “A harlot? Yes, but a traitor, never!” Even though she was incredibly distraught by the case, especially the new charges that were seemingly coming out of nowhere, the court wasn’t buying Mata’s version of events. Instead, things continued to get rapidly worse for the defendant, with more and more evidence coming in.

Everyone continued to turn against Mata Hari the longer the case went on

The accusations against Mata Hari continued to stack up, but there was still the biggest blow of them all to come. This time, it was Vadim Maslov. He was the one that seemingly started this all, as Mata became a spy just to try and get to her fallen lover in Germany. However, he didn’t want to be involved.

When Vadim was called as Mata’s character witness, he outright refused to take the stand. The brutal betrayal was just another example of everyone turning against Mata in the end, and the news didn’t go down well. In fact, when she learned what Vadim had said, Mata was so distraught that she fainted on the spot.

Mata Hari wrote several letters to the Dutch Ambassador claiming she was innocent

Mata Hari continually wrote to the Dutch Ambassador in Paris about her innocence, stating her “connections are due of my work as a dancer, nothing else,” adding, “I really did not spy.” Learning Vadim Maslov admitted he didn’t care if Mata was convicted or not was one thing, but her defense lawyer faced more legal hurdles.

He wasn’t allowed to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses or examine his own. Then, there was the moment the prosecution used the fact Mata was a woman as a sign of her guilt. He claimed Mata was “accustomed to making use of men” and was “born to be a spy.” It wasn’t long before Mata was labeled a true femme fatale.

She always claimed that she was innocent but admitted to making imperfect decisions

The evidence brought against Mata Hari sounded bad, but the prosecution didn’t have much to go by. In fact, they merely had the decoded H-21 letters, her past relationship with German businessman Herr Kepert, and “invisible ink,” which turned out to be makeup. However, the French argued that if Mata could have one German affair, there was no end.

That was seemingly all the judge needed, as they ruled that Mata was to lose her life for her supposed crimes. Even after her harsh sentence, Mata continued to claim she was innocent. While she did admit that she accepted 20,000 francs (approximately $22,500) for trivial information, Mata argued it merely proved she was imperfect - not a traitor.

It’s said that Mata Hari regularly thought about creative ways to escape from prison

Some rumors claim that Mata Hari’s final months in prison were filled with luxuries like bonbons and milk baths. The reality? That was far from the case, with Mata’s life actually dominated by filth, rodents, and aggression. After growing incredibly desperate, Mata spent most of her time plotting how to escape or ways to delay her inevitable end.

Mata allegedly thought about convincing the prison doctor to state she was pregnant to delay the end. Another supposedly involved asking the firing squad to use blanks before burying her in a shallow grave so she could sneak out later. They were creative, but Mata was given her final date three months later, merely replying, “It’s impossible, it’s impossible.”

There are differing reports about what happened the day Mata Hari lost her life

Tragically, the end of Mata Hari’s life became an inevitability, with that moment coming on October 15, 1917. There are a few different stories about what happened, with journalist Henry Wales claiming Mata refused to wear a blindfold and faced her firing squad with no emotion before uttering, “I’m ready.” Apparently, her expression never changed as they fired.

Others claim that Mata shouted she knew how to go “without weakness” and the crowd would “see a good end.” For a time, people believed that Mata actually removed her clothes to try and convince the firing squad to spare her life. However, a perhaps more believable account claims Mata blew a kiss to each of the men involved.

An investigation into Mata Hari’s innocence came too late for the exotic dancer

In a tragic turn of events, French Intelligence began to question if Mata Hari was really guilty a few days after her life ended. After an inquiry, they learned that Georges Ladoux - the one who accused Mata of being a spy - actually had his own secrets. Apparently, he’d been fabricating evidence to prove Mata’s guilt for one reason or another.

Sadly, it turned out that France needed a scapegoat. Throughout WWI, the nation was mocked several times after losing battles, running out of resources, and their forces turning to mutiny. It appeared that blaming Mata for the reason they were failing was far better than admitting their mistakes, but the truth only emerged when it was too late.

Many now believe Georges Ladoux was the one to blame for it all

Looking back on what happened, many historians now believe that Mata Hari was falsely accused of being a traitor to try and take the attention away from the failures going on in French forces at the time. The main reasons are Georges Ladoux’s fake evidence and the highly public nature of Mata’s trial. That’s not all.

It’s also well known that Mata was a terrible spy and that most of her attempts failed, so how did she end the lives of 50,000 people? Four days after she lost her life, French authorities seemingly agreed, as they arrested Mata’s accuser, Georges. This time, he was charged with double espionage, but he was never convicted.

Another person might have also contributed to Mata Hari losing her life

To make matters even worse, it seems the fact Georges Ladoux was arrested for double espionage was hidden for a century. It wasn't until 2017 that official documents from France were declassified, meaning the rest of the world got to learn more about what might have gone, as Germany and France weren't the only ones to accuse Mata.

British Officer Henry Noedemaker also thought she was a double agent after meeting on a ship. After sneaking in to look through her things, Henry was interrupted by Mata. He didn't find anything but reported unsubstantiated claims to British officials. Three years after Mata's life was ended, Henry took his own, with many thinking he couldn't live with the guilt.

What happened to Mata Hari’s remains has long been a mystery

Even though Mata Hari tried to maintain her dignity throughout her life being ended, her body was treated in one of the most undignified ways. For one, no one claimed her body, meaning it was donated to medical science. However, before that, Mata’s head was removed, embalmed, and preserved in wax before it was displayed at Paris’ Museum of Anatomy.

The museum was filled with criminals and their remains, but the French Minister of Education threatened to shut it down in 2000. In return, the museum offered an inventory of their collections, but when it was reviewed, Mata’s head was missing from the list. It’s also believed the museum had the rest of her body, but nothing has ever emerged.

Mata Hari’s life has continually inspired movies and books

The story of Mata Hari is an incredibly intriguing and tragic one. After all, what started as her family’s surprise wealth turned into Mata becoming a famous exotic dancer before she was accused of being a spy and having her life ended. Of course, it might be little surprise that her life has inspired several Hollywood movies.

In 1931, the drama film ‘Mata Hari’ was loosely based on her life. There have also been five musicals as well as more than 250 biographies and books about the exotic dancer. Plus, in her hometown of Leeuwarden, the Frisian Museum has a room dedicated to her life, with a statue standing where Mata’s family home once was.

Her life was always about trying to bring her family back together

All of her success aside, Mata Hari’s life was long fuelled by desperation. Most of it stems from her marriage to Rudolph MacLeod, as without her marriage and losing her daughter to her ex-husband, Mata wouldn’t have fled to France and fallen into the career that would, in one way or another, lead to her untimely passing.

Becoming an exotic dancer taught Mata how to become a seductive temptress, one that earned her the title of being the ultimate femme fatale, whether that was the case or not. Whatever she did with her life, all of Mata’s choices were seemingly in a bid to get Louise Jeanne back, something she was never able to achieve.