Behind the Veils: Revealing Mata Hari by Rebekah Villon Part 6: The Legacy of Mata Hari
This is the final part of a six-part series exploring the life, loves, and legacy of the legendary Mata Hari, born Margaretha Geerdruida Zelle. In the previous issue of HOWDO, we explored her trial and execution on 15 Oct 1917. Mata Hari was an extraordinary
between British authorities and
England. During her interrogation
woman, and her story does not
Mata Hari. It is fascinating to
she divulged nothing but Ladoux
end with her death. Not only has
read her own words, although, as
is of the opinion that now that
she inspired countless songs,
always, we can’t be completely
she has been condemned she will
films, books, and documentaries,
sure that she is always telling the
probably make a statement with
but
to
truth. A few of the documents
a view to getting her sentence
cause political and intelligence
repeat that Ladoux had told MI5
commuted, in which case it is
intrigue.
that he suspected Mata Hari and
conceivable that there would be
had therefore pretended to hire
matter interesting to M.I.5.”
her
story
continues
Declassification and
her as a spy to obtain evidence
Clarification
against her. The most telling
This letter seems to state that
In 2015, the British Intelligence
excerpt is from July 1917, where
she
Agency MI5 released all their
a letter from a British Lieutenant
tried, convicted, and executed
documents pertaining to Mata
Colonel (whose name I can’t
with no evidence.
Hari. It’s a fascinating archive, as
decipher) states that:
the British not only documented
was
knowingly
arrested,
In 2017, one hundred years after
her travels and questioned her a
“Captain Ladoux who had the
her death, the French intelligence
few times, but they had ongoing
case in hand tells me that they
agencies
correspondence with the French
found
incriminating
documents on the case of Mata
intelligence agents during her
amongst her effects and nothing
Hari. The dossier contains 497
arrest and trial. It also contains
to show she had been in any way
documents over 1275 scanned
newspaper clippings, telegrams,
connected with espionage in
and transcriptions of interviews
nothing
released
their
own