#empress marie Louise

[empirearchives]

Marie Louise’s reaction to Napoleon’s death

“I am just now in great uncertainty. The Gazette of Piedmont has announced in such a positive manner the death of the Emperor Napoleon, that it is hardly possible to doubt it any longer. I confess I was extremely startled at it, though I have never had any deep feelings of any kind for him. I cannot forget that he is the father of my son and that, far from behaving badly to me, as every one believes, he always showed me every consideration—the only thing one can look for in a political marriage. I was therefore very grieved at it and, though one should be glad that he has ended his unhappy life in a Christian manner, I could still have wished him many more years of happiness and life—provided that it was far away from me. In the uncertainty about it I have settled myself at Sala, not wishing to go to the theater till I know something positive. My health has become so frail that I have felt this shock.”

— Marie Louise’s letter to Countess Victoire (1821)

Source: Compiled by Charles A. Shriner, Wit, Wisdom and Foibles of the Great: Together With Numerous Anecdotes Illustrative of the Characters of People and Their Rulers

Marie Louise, deeply upset at not being informed of the news by her family in Vienna:

“I confess that what gave me most sorrow, in these circumstances, was that I had not had any official news, nor any private, friendly letter from Vienna—the only way by which such could reach me in safety. I confess that I expected more interest and affection on that side, and it gave me a cruel blow by showing me how little one can count on all one’s own people, and this grief can only be cured by time.”

Source: Edith E. Cuthell, An Imperial Victim: Marie Louise, Archduchess of Austria, Empress of the French, Duchess of Parma

[napoleondidthat]

My assassination at Schonbrunn would have been less fatal than my marriage to Marie-Louise.

-Napoleon Bonaparte

[dreamconsumer]

Portraits of the Empress Marie-Louise (1791-1847) and the King of Rome, Napoleon II, Duke of Reichstadt (1811-1832) son of the Emperor Napoleon I (1769-1821). By Jean-Baptiste Isabey.

[northernmariette]

A bit more about Bernadotte, a tiny little crumb about Mortier

Just about a year ago, just before Bernadotte's birthday, I kept coming across new discoveries regarding the previous birthday boy, Ney. Well, discoveries new to me, anyway.

This year, coming up on Mortier's birthday, I keep coming across new discoveries regarding the previous birthday boy, Bernadotte. This latest one is from "Journal du comte Rodolphe Apponyi, attaché de l'ambassade d'Autriche-Hongrie à Paris", to be found on Gallica. Silly me, I forgot to note the page but it's round about page 15, and it's for the year 1844. It is shortish, so I will transcribe the extract in its entirety, followed by my own rough translation:

"Le roi de Suède est toujours mourant. Il a été si mal, ces derniers temps, que malgré sa défense expresse de ne jamais le saigner, de le laisser mourir plutôt que de faire cette opération, on l'a fait par ordre exprès de la reine, mais quel ne fut pas l'etonnement des assistants, en voyant sur ce bras royal quantité de tatouages cabalistiques et surtout, du haut en bas la phrase suivante en grosses lettres: "Liberté. Égalité. Vive la République!"

On m'a raconté, à ce propos, que lorsque Bernadotte a été en Corse, il a voulu épouser la fille d'un fermier parce qu'elle avait quelque argent; les parents de la jeune fille ne la lui ont pas accordée parce que lui n'en avait point et qu'il n'était que simple soldat. Cette femme vit encore: elle est si pauvre qu'elle est servante dans une petite maison bourgeoise où elle porte de l'eau et fait le gros ouvrage dans la cuisine!"

The King of Sweden is Bernadotte, of course. He did die in 1844, after spending 34 years successfully ruling Sweden, unofficially as the Crown Prince since 1810, then as the actual King from 1818.

Here is my translation of the preceding French text:

"The King of Sweden is still near death. He has been so ill of late that in spite of his formal command never to bleed him, to let him die rather than to carry out this procedure, the Queen ordered it to be done; but the medical assistants were astonished to see on the royal arm a multitude of cabalistic tattoos but especially, from top to bottom, the following phrase in large lettering: "Liberty. Equality. Long live the Republic!"

I have been told that when Bernadotte was stationed in Corsica, he had wanted to marry the daughter of a farmer because she had some money; her parents refused to grant his request, because he had no money of his own and because he was but a soldier. The woman in question is still alive: she is so poor that she is now a servant in a small bourgeois household, where she fetches water and works as a scullery maid."

Bernadotte did serve in Corsica before the Révolution. At the time, Corsica had not been part of France for very long and the political situation there was not terribly stable. I have not looked into this, but I wonder if he and Napoleon might have been there at the same time in the 1780s. I wonder too if Bernadotte knew about the Bonaparte family at least by reputation, as it had at least some degree of prominence on the island, and certainly much prominence in Ajaccio.

Regarding Bernadotte's tattoos, I have seen different versions of what the exact wording was - "Death to Kings" is what I have read elsewhere - where this particular tattoo was located (arm? chest?), and the reason for Bernadotte's reticence. I think it makes more sense that he did not want to be bled than the reason I have seen elsewhere, namely that he was embarrassed that his doctor would see the tattoo. By the time he was at death's door, somehow I doubt he would have cared that much about his doctor's opinion about very old tattoos - including the cabalistic ones, which I think referred to freemasonry symbols.

Now on to the Mortier crumblet.

I am still reading Philip Mansel's "The Eagle in Splendour" with pleasure and interest. I do have a bone to pick with him, which is that he does not sufficiently quote his sources. This drives me nuts when I want to find out more about any particular aspect of his book. I have no idea where the following information comes from, and it does leave me wondering.

On page 59, Mansel writes, concerning Napoleon's marriage to Marie-Louise:

"Throughout the round of glittering ceremonies, the Emperor and Empress were surrounded by members of the imperial family and, above all, of the court. Duroc, Berthier, Montesquiou and Marshal Mortier were especially prominent (...)."

Huh? Why was Mortier especially prominent at the time of Napoleon's second wedding? Why he, among all the Marshals? No surprise about Berthier, who had been sent to Vienna to finalise the marriage agreement and who had actually married Marie-Louise by proxy; but Mortier? And in what role? This doesn't seem to be something I will find out from Mansel. Not cool.

[northernmariette]

One of Empress Marie-Louise's tiaras. Not my favourite, as I find its styling very heavy.

Empress Marie Louise of France’s Ears of Wheat Tiara

Find out more at Tiara Mania

[royalty-nobility]

Portrait of Marie-Louise of Austria, Wife of Napoleon and Empress of France

Artist: Robert Lefèvre (French, 1755–1830)

Date: 1812

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Museo Glauco Lombardi, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma

Marie Louise (12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was Duchess of Parma from 11 April 1814 until her death in 1847. She was Napoleon's second wife and as such Empress of the French and Queen of Italy from their marriage on 1 April 1810 until his abdication on 6 April 1814.

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚁𝚘𝚢𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 👑✨🍫

(𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟸 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝟺)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Queen Sophia of Greece, née Princess Sophia of Prussia.

Princess Beatrice, Duchess of Galliera, née Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh.

Empress Maria Feodorovna, née Princess Dagmar of Denmark.

Queen Marie of Romania, née Princess Marie of Edinburgh.

Queen Victoria, née Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent.

Queen Margherita of Italy, née Princess Margherita of Savoy.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, née Princess Alix of Hesse.

Princess Louise of Schaumburg-Lippe, née Princess Louise of Denmark.

Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, née Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg.

[empirearchives]

Mavie Hörbiger as Marie Louise in Napoléon (2002)

[northernmariette]

I would have liked to see more information about this, especially about its present location, but I will take the description at face value for now.

Napoleon Ordered This Tiara In 1810 For His Second Wife, Marie Louise Of Austria

Source: Pinterest

[napoleondidthat]

When you have to pick up your horse from valet parking.

[royal-confessions]

“If I could invite any three royals, living or dead, to dinner, I'd invite Joséphine de Beauharnais, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. I'd just say to Franz and Sophie "So, you two dislike Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo. He was a grandson of," here I'd take a dramatic pause and turn to Joséphine, "Marie Louise of Parma. Discuss." And then enjoy the chaos and Alfred-bashing, lol.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[mary-maud]

Empress Marie Louise of the French, Jean-Baptiste Paulin Guérin

[northernmariette]

Marie-Louise was still Empress when this was painted.

That is one huge baby, by the way. His head is even larger than hers!

1811, Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma with the sleeping King of Rome by Joseph Franque

[josefavomjaaga]

hello! do you know what ML's relationship was like with her son? it seems they were distant, but i was wondering if it was more complex than that.

Hi and thanks for the Ask! I'm probably not the best person to answer as I've only read up on Marie Louise in passing. But maybe somebody else will be able to add more to the bit I have to offer.

First of all, I take it that with "her son" you mean little Napoleon Franz, King of Rome-turned Duke of Reichstadt. I understand Marie Louise had two more sons from Adam Neipperg (only one of them reached adulthood though). The answer to your question will depend a lot on who you ask, as there is a long standing tradition especially in France to put all the blame on Marie Louise.

Were Marie Louise and the Duke of Reichstadt close? No, surely not, but from what I have read it was also not that cold and distanced relationship that Marie Louise is often accused of. Mostly, it's an interesting detail that in Paris she seems to have been kept deliberately at a distance: The boy's governess, Madame de Montesquiou, "Maman Quiou", took precedence over the empress in the child's rooms. (I understand that was one cause for the state of constant warfare between Madame de Montesquiou and the Duchess de Montebello Louise Lannes.) When Marie Louise wanted to see her son, she had to ask for permission.

I'm not quite sure what to make of "Maman Quiou", frankly. I have come across some journals by Dietrichstein and other future tutors of the Duke of Reichstadt who do not treat her kindly. But considering the animosity between French and Austrian court, that is to be expected.

In her letters to Napoleon, Marie Louise almost always talks about their son (or, as Napoleon put it "my son"). It seems she also regularly wrote to others about him and claimed to miss him dearly, so she cannot have been utterly indifferent. But she was an empress, and as such she had a job to do and was often away from the baby. Not as often as Napoleon, but quite some time.

But of course it was only after the Vienna Congress that relations with her child became truly estranged. After the Hundred Days, in 1816, Marie Louise left her five-year-old son in Vienna, in order to rule over the Duchy of Parma. She has been - rightfully - blamed for it. But to be fair: she actually took possession of Parma in order to secure it for her son. It was only in 1817 when the powers decided that the Duke of Reichstadt would not inherit and that the throne of Parma would fall to another branch of the Bourbons. Who merited another throne because... because... Anyway.

Besides their correspondence, Marie Louise returned to Vienna to visit her son several times: 1818, 1823, 1826, 1828, 1830 and 1832. That's not much, as maternal affection goes, but I believe little Franz still saw his mother more often than Napoleon Bonaparte had seen his after he had been sent to France? I have not checked, though.

Thank you for the Ask!, and please, if everybody has something to add (and I know there's a couple of folks out there who know much more about the matter than I do) feel free to do so!

[amelie-of-the-sea-and-sky]

My 18 favorite royal wedding tiaras in no specific order, part 1.

[loiladadiani]

Queen Louise of Denmark, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, and Princess Marie of Greece and Denmark (Greek Minnie)

All of them beautiful in their own way…even Greek Minnie looks lovely; her features did not yet show the “constant expression of displeasure” into which they would seem to set later in life.

In my opinion, King Christian IX and Queen Louise raised their children to occupy the high places they would in Imperial Europe and also did the work necessary to find those children appropriate grooms and brides…for the most part. gcl