Monique Bond is the mother of James Bond and the spouse of Andrew Bond. Like her husband, the character has only a brief mention in Fleming's penultimate novel, You Only Live Twice. Although alluded to in 1995's GoldenEye and 2012's Skyfall, she has never been portrayed in film.
Overview[]
It was not until the penultimate novel, You Only Live Twice, that Ian Fleming gave Bond a sense of family background, using a fictional obituary, purportedly from The Times. The book was the first to be written after the release of Dr. No in cinemas and Sean Connery's depiction of Bond affected Fleming's interpretation of the character, to give Bond both a sense of humour and Scottish antecedents that were not present in the previous stories. The novel reveals Bond is the son of a Scottish father, Andrew Bond, of Glencoe, and a Swiss mother, Monique Delacroix, of the Canton de Vaud. When his parents are killed in a tragic mountain climbing accident in the Aiguilles Rouges near Chamonix, eleven-year-old James is orphaned.
Novel biography[]
Early Life[]
Monique was born to a wealthy Swiss industrialist in a large family with relatives living all across Europe and around the globe. She eventually met the arms salesman Andrew Bond, and the two were quickly married. Their son James was born in Zurich, Switzerland. And after this they tried to settle down, but Andrew's job prevented this for some time. Eventually, Monique refused to continue moving, and set up two temporary residences for herself and James. One in Chelsea, and one in Basle, Switzerland.[1][2]
SilverFin[]
While riding a train to Scotland to visit his Uncle Max, James reflected on his past, and the close relationship he had had with his mother. However, when Andrew received time off, the two went off on climbing trips which were deemed too dangerous for James. While they were away, James was left in the care of various nursemaids and nannies, or on occasion, Andrew's sister Charmian. She felt bad leaving James, but also loved Andrew, and spent what time she could with him.
Double or Die[]
Two years after her demise, Monique's son James had been poisoned with lethal amounts of Gin, and passed out on a boat, where he remembered being taught to sail by his father, and accidentally smashed his fingers as they docked due to his hand having been resting on the edge of the boat, which Andrew had expressly told him not to do. James howled with pain, and Monique quickly embraced him and began to dote. James felt babied and uncomfortable, but as he lay poisoned he reflected that while he had resented his mother's affection at the time, he would have liked to feel the sense of security she brought him again.
Carte Blanche[]
In Jeffery Deaver's continuity, it is revealed that, while she pretended to be a freelance photojournalist, Monique was really a freelance Spy Hunter for MI6. Monique was assassinated in the Alps by Russian operatives in a Soviet "Steel Cartridge" operation to take out the spy who had come too close to exposing several Russian agents, and took out her husband in the process.
The resulting police investigation resulted in the operation being declared as a tragic accident, they did find a chrome cartridge of bullets in the snowdrift that appeared to kill them. While its presence was never explained, It was left by the Soviet operative as a warning to the SIS.
Film biography[]
The Incredible World of James Bond, a made-for-TV showcase aired as part of the promotion for the forthcoming release of Thunderball, the narration tells us how James Bond was orphaned at the age of eleven.
Alec Trevelyan reminds James Bond how his parents died in a climbing accident.
She resided in Skyfall Lodge before her death alongside Andrew, leaving James distraught. After that, his primary caretaker became Kincade, the gamekeeper of Skyfall Lodge. They were buried nearby in the graveyard of the estate's chapel. When Andrew and Monique are mentioned by M James does not like to talk about his roots or his parents.
Behind the scenes[]
In an interview with John Creusemann published in the January 2, 1964 edition of the Daily Express, Ian Fleming was quoting as saying, “Bond is Scottish. On both sides, as I shall explain in my next book.” [3]
While a young man studying at Geneva University, Ian Fleming began a romance with Monique Panchaud de Bottens from Vich in the canton of Vaud and the couple were engaged in 1931, but his mother disapproved and made him break off the relationship.[4][5][6] Monique would later marry George de Mestral, inventor of Velcro.
Delacroix is similar to Ian Fleming's own mother's middle name and maternal grandfather's middle name of Ste-Croix.
Trivia[]
- In William Boyd's novel Solo, Bond remembers that Monique wore the vanilla and iris scented Shalimar perfume by Guerlain.[7]
References[]
- ↑ Charlie Higson (2005). SilverFin. Ian Fleming Publications, 86. ISBN 1423122623.
- ↑ Charlie Higson (2005). SilverFin. Ian Fleming Publications, 87. ISBN 1423122623.
- ↑ Ian Fleming on James Bond's all-Scottish parentage - The Bondologist Blog
- ↑ Spies, affairs and James Bond... The secret diary of Ian Fleming's wartime mistress (telegraph.co.uk)
- ↑ Affairs of the Heart - Ian Fleming
- ↑ Die Mutter von James Bond war eine attraktive Schweizerin - DER SPIEGEL
- ↑ William Boyd (2013). Solo. Ian Fleming Publications, 6. ISBN 0062223127.