The love of the Emperor. The main women of Napoleon Bonaparte
The history of ladies who have conquered the heart of the Creator of the French Empire.
French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was a great success with women, but its popularity is not abused. The number of women with whom he had amorous relations, Napoleon is not the champion even among European monarchs. But if to speak about the women with whom the Emperor has developed what can be called a serious relationship, we are not in the unit.
We will discuss four main of “lady-love” of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Desiree Clary: from the abandoned bride to the Swedish Queen
Desiree Clary was born November 8, 1777 in Marseille, the son of a wealthy silk merchant. Like many girls of her origin, she went to school at the convent. When in 1789 the revolution broke out, her parents took her home.
A young girl became a convinced Republican, but her brother from the revolutionary government aroused suspicions and was arrested.
Trying to help brother, she met a young politician Joseph Bonaparte. Of when Joseph helped free his brother, and she introduced him to the family.
Joseph fell in love with the sister of Desiree, Julie, and soon married her. He introduced cousin brother: the young General of the revolutionary army of Napoleon Bonaparte.
It was the passionate affair of two temperamental people, and soon Desiree was the official bride of General Bonaparte
She would become his wife, but on the way Napoleon met luxury beauty Marie Rose Joseph Tash de La Pageri, better known as Josephine. The General lost his head and abandoned his bride.
Desiree went with his sister to Italy, where Joseph Bonaparte performed diplomatic missions.
And in 1798, he returned to France, she met Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, the future Marshal, whom she married.
In 1810 Napoleon made Marshal Bernadotte crown Prince of Sweden, and in 1818 after Napoleon’s former Marshal became Swedish king.
Desiree did not believe in the strength of the crown on the head of the husband and until 1823, lived in France. But then, making sure the throne is durable wife, the former Republican has moved to Sweden.
On 21 August 1829, she made her official coronation in Stockholm as the Queen of Sweden, under the name of Desiderius. She lived in Sweden for a long life, died at the age of 83 years and was buried in the Church of Chevalier next to her husband, the king of Sweden Carl XIV Johan: that was the official name of the former French Marshal.
The only son of Desiree, Oscar, became king of Sweden, Oscar I. the Bernadotte Dynasty is the ruling in Sweden to this day.
Josephine de Beauharnais: crazy Empress
Josephine became the main woman in his life of Napoleon. The legend says that her name was the last word, the flying from her lips of a dying Emperor.
Marie Rose Joseph Tash de La Pageri, which is now known worldwide simply as Josephine, was born on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean sea in the family of a French planter Joseph-Gaspard de La Tasha Pageri.
At age 16, Josephine, married the Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais. The great love between spouses was not: the Vicomte de Beauharnais was popular with women and was not taken seriously the obligation of fidelity.
In 1785, the spouses are de facto separated. From the marriage to Josephine is survived by two children, an influential surname of the husband and a good financial capital, which, however, the woman quickly enough spent.
In 1794, the revolutionary government sent Alexander de Beauharnais to the guillotine. Josephine herself was in prison, and she was threatened with the same fate.
In the end, she was lucky: she was released. She became the mistress of the Vicomte de Barras, a leader of the Thermidorian coup and Directories.
A new lover took for Josephine house and paid all her expenses. She soon became one of the most influential ladies in Paris, a trendsetter.
In 1795, a 32-year-old Josephine meets a 26-year-old General Napoleon Bonaparte. He was struck by the charm of Josephine and passionately fell in love with her. Her new Beau seemed nice and funny, but, unlike her former wealthy lovers, he was not able to meet its financial requirements.
Napoleon had offered a formal marriage and adoption of children of Josephine. In the end she agreed. March 9, 1796, the marriage between Josephine and Napoleon was signed
Josephine used the sentiments of an ardent husband, to behind his back to engage in financial fraud. Faithful to it it is also not kept, and one day Napoleon, returning from a trip, dumped things the couple in the corner, making it clear that their relationship is over.
Josephine managed to beg for forgiveness, and in 1804 spouse placed on her head the crown of the Empress.
The marriage collapsed not due to infidelity: women’s health of Josephine was not allowed to give Napoleon an heir. After waiting for several years, in 1809, the Emperor announced to his wife about divorce.
He left Josephine the title of Empress, the Elysee Palace, the castle of Navarre and Malmaison castle. She didn’t need funding, she lived lavishly, surrounded by his former yard. Having gone through a nervous breakdown because of the breakup with Napoleon, she had then accepted his fate with humility.
6 April 1814 in Fontainebleau Palace, near Paris, Napoleon abdicated. Abandoned by almost all the family, in the night from 12 to 13 April, he tried to commit suicide by taking poison
But even the deadly potion betrayed him, losing their properties on long storage.
16 April 1814, Napoleon wrote the last letter to Josephine: “my bottomless Drop. Adieu, my dear Josephine. Humble, humbled me. Never forget a person who has not forgotten You. Will never forget You”. April 20, he went into exile on the island of Elba.
Already in France the winners were treated Josephine with respect and reverence. It was visited by Russian Emperor Alexander I, whom she prayed to be the one to let her go into exile with Napoleon. Alexander considered this desire is very decent but still refused to Josephine.
At the end of may 1814, the Empress fell ill due to severe cold. The illness progressed rapidly, and on may 29, 1814, she died.
A native of Martinique was awarded to the Imperial funeral. To say goodbye June 2, 1814, there were about 20 thousand people. The ceremony was attended by the representative of the Russian Emperor, the representative of the king of Prussia, many French princes, marshals and generals.
Children of Josephine who was adopted by Napoleon as his other relatives become members of the ruling monarchical houses. Grandson of Josephine, the son of her daughter Hortense, became Emperor of France under the name Napoleon III. Granddaughter Josephine, daughter of her son, Eugene, who, like the grandmother’s name was Josephine, became the wife of the king of Sweden Oscar I, son, abandoned by Napoleon, Desiree Clary. In such a bizarre way the fate of two women of Napoleon.
Marie-Louise Austrian: a marriage of convenience
In need of an heir, the Emperor Napoleon was able to win consent for the marriage of Marie-Louise of Austria, daughter of the Austrian Emperor Franz I.
Princess Marie Louise, the grandniece executed on the guillotine, Marie Antoinette was born in Vienna on 12 December 1791. In 1810, 18 years old, she married 40-year-old Napoleon.
This was a typical “marriage of convenience”. The bride’s father hated Napoleon, but was forced to subdue pride in front of his army. The very same Marie-Louise was flattered that she became the wife of most powerful man of Europe.
March 20, 1811 she gave birth to a son, like father, called by Napoleon. Immediately after birth he was proclaimed king of Rome and heir to the Empire.
In 1814, when losing a war Napoleon abdicated, Marie-Louise not only refused to move from her husband, but actually stopped paying attention to her son.
Senior Napoleon abdicated twice in favour of the son, but the winners refused to recognize the younger Napoleon ruler of France.
Son of Napoleon was brought up at the court of his grandfather, the Austrian Emperor Franz. From childhood he was taught the German name Franz, and not Napoleon. Grandfather awarded him the title “Duke of Reichstadt”.
The young man knew who his father was, dreamed of a military exploits, but the policy of Europe is vigilantly watching his every move, fearing that the Bonapartists would try to elevate him to the throne.
July 22, 1832 at the age of 21 years of Napoleon Francois Joseph Charles Bonaparte, was the only legitimate child of the Emperor Napoleon, died of tuberculosis
As for his mother, Maria Louise got herself a favourite of the Austrian General count Adam albert von Neipperg, which after the death of a legitimate husband entered into a morganatic marriage.
In its management were Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, given to her with the title of Imperial Majesty on the Treaty of Fontainebleau. She lived in Parma, where he built hospitals, schools, bridges, remained in the memory of local residents the best ruler in history.
Buried in 1829 second husband, count Neipperg, in 1834 Marie-Louise entered into another morganatic marriage, this time with count Charles-Rene de Bombaim. She died in Parma on 17 December 1847 at the age of 57 years.
Maria Walewska: love in the name of Poland
Lonczynska Maria, daughter of hostinskogo warden Matthew Leninskogo was born on 7 Dec 1786 in Polish Carnose.
In 1804 she married a nobleman of Anastasia of Walewski, who in 1805 had a son Anthony.
When in 1806 Napoleon’s conquests reached the Polish lands, the local elite lit up the hope for the restoration of an independent Poland. To strengthen ties with the Emperor was resolved to conquer his heart with smart Polish beauty. The choice fell on the 20-year-old Maria Walewska.
Maria claimed to have decided to see Napoleon, which came to the city, after which followed the Emperor, and ran towards him from the crowd with cheers.
Napoleon himself claimed that he first saw Mary at the ball at Talleyrand at Warsaw, on 17 January 1807. Anyway, the calculation of the nobility proved correct: before the Polish beauty the Emperor could not resist and joined her in a relationship
“Mary, sweetest Mary, my first thought belongs to you, my first wish is to see you again. You will come again, isn’t it? You promised me this. If not, then you will fly the eagle… Deign to accept this bouquet, let it be a secret sign of our love in the midst of the human bustle and the key secret of our relationship… Love me, my charming Mary, and let your hand never comes off from this bouquet,” wrote Napoleon to his new passion.
Maria followed him, and held with Napoleon a few months in the castle of Finkenstein. She soon became pregnant.
Born may 4, 1810, a boy named Alexander, could not become the heir of Napoleon, but the father tried to take care of his fate.
By decree dated may 5, 1812 he became the owner of primogeniture in the Kingdom of Naples and received the title of count of the Empire.
The relationship between Mary and Napoleon took over after his marriage with Marie-Louise of Austria. Divorced from her husband, Maria Walewska was married to the French General Philippe-Antoine d’ornano, who was Napoleon’s distant relative. It is known that Maria Walewska’s son secretly visited Napoleon on Elba island.
9 Jun 1817 Mary, who became Countess d’ornano, bore her husband a son, who was named Rudolf Auguste. After the birth of her state of health significantly worsened, and on December 11, 1817, barely surpassing the milestone of the 30th anniversary, Maria died.
The son of Maria and Napoleon, count Alexander Florian Joseph Colonna-Walewski participated in the Polish uprising of 1830-1831, then made a diplomatic career in France for five years, occupying the post of Minister of foreign Affairs. Later the illegitimate son of Napoleon became Minister of fine arts of France.