#marie Louise

[historicconfessions]

[empirearchives]

Gown and train of Marie Louise of Austria, second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte

(Bust of Napoleon and painting of Marie Louise in the background)

Museo Glauco Lombardi

[natasyart]

Can anyone explain to me how Marie relationship with her son, Napoleon II? I really want to know why people hate her but I found no source in google 😔😔

[psycheswrathsposts]

The fact that the British political cartoons then, always drew her pretty… oh she’s an icon for that 😭

[captainknell]

*BOOK REPORT*

Napoleon and His Son by Pierre Nezelof

First of all, this book is called a "fictionalized biography" so that leaves me to doubt most of it as "fact", at least in a word for word sense. That is my disclaimer.

This book, unlike most Napoleon books I have read, tells what the characters are thinking and feeling and saying. It seems that normally in books, direct and known quotes are the only dialogue that occurs. The way that this one is written makes it feel as if you are really there and it is easy to visualize. It's not just some dry spouting of facts. That being said, I'm not sure how historically accurate it really is.

Our story begins with Marie Louise finding out that Napoleon has divorced Josephine and is looking for a bride. She soon finds out that she is the intended target and is upset, calling Napoleon "the devil" and "the antichrist".

The story progresses through their marriage and the birth of Napoleon II. Here is the one part where I actually feel bad for Marie Louise. I can relate to her on a mom level. She had a difficult birth and then, by etiquette at the time, didn't have the moments of bonding needed for a mother and baby, especially your first baby. Napoleon II had servants for everything. He did not even need his parents. A wet nurse breastfeed him, which again, was common at the time, but breastfeeding and skin to skin contact with a baby is a HUGE thing in bonding. Marie Louise never had that chance. Now I'm not condoning her neglectful behavior later on, but I understand the reason. She did not feel close with Napoleon II, and I think that made it easier for her to just ignore him and leave him to be brought up by tutors. I know with my first son, not having EVER been around babies, that I didn't know how to connect with him at first. My husband went as far as to accuse me of not loving our son when really I just didn't know how to interact with a baby. Once I figured that out, things were much better. But what I'm saying here, is that she didn't get the chance to figure that out. She didn't have to. There were people for her son's every need except that of a real mother.

Once Napoleon went into exile, first at Elba, and then again to St. Helena, Marie Louise ran back to the only life she knew without Napoleon: Austria. Napoleon II was only a toddler. They took away his toys and French clothes and did their best to make him an Austrian prince under Metternich's careful watch. They began calling him Franz. Eventually all his French staff were removed and replaced with Austrian staff. He was kept in the dark about many things concerning his father, especially where he currently was and how he was being treated. Meanwhile, Marie Louise had quickly fallen in love with Count Neipperg, and was concealing her new life, and even new children! from her son. She was away from Franz for years at a time, often making excuses on why she couldn't travel to see him.

Franz's only friends were Sophie of Bavaria and Prokesch von Osten. Sophie was his comfort and Prokesch was his hope. They were always making grand plans to help Franz return to the French throne. He felt that these were the only people he could trust. Everyone else reported back to Metternich, who was basically holding him prisoner, keeping him away from France and even his own inheritance.

Unfortunately, Franz was a sickly young man. By the time he was 21, he was on his deathbed. Unfortunately, Prokesch was away - meeting with Franz's grandmother, Laetitia (as it is spelled in this book), mother of Napoleon Bonaparte. Sophie went into labor also at this time with her second child, and was unable to see Franz once more. She had barely left his bedside during his illness despite her pregnancy. Begrudgingly, Marie Louise showed up, ordered by her father to do so. She couldn't stomach the sight of her dying son and kept fainting/running out of the room/leaving him alone. Franz died of Tuberculosis and Metternich slept easily, knowing that the threat of Napoleon was gone.

It was a very good book with an engaging story. I would definitely recommend, but again, I caution that it might not be 100% fact.

[crazykotyara12]

But there was a twist

The original reference:

[josefavomjaaga]

Do you guys ever wonder why some people in the napoleonic fandom are popular, or even romanticized to the point of being barely recognizable, while others are not? Why some are branded villains, while the same or worse actions from others are somehow ignored or excused?

[bunniesandbeheadings]

Please never feel ashamed for talking excessively about how much of a terrible mother Marie Louise was.

She was let off with a mere slap on the wrist by many contemporary historians and those of her age.

Her name deserves to be dragged through mud.

I wouldn’t go that far, lol. Most of her sins are just that she had the intelligence of a gnat and the backbone of a jellyfish. She wasn’t actively malicious.

It’s just like, damn girl. You gave birth to a whole ass human being. You could maybe just hang around and make sure he doesn’t die, yknow? I’m not asking you to lead a one woman revolution to pop the kid on a throne but you could, idk, check in on him more often than biannually?

…although it would be a cool as shit historical AU about Marie Louise acting compliant with her son’s dethronement but secretly organizing a coup d’etat. “Oh yes papa I will never talk of the Corsican ogre again,” she says, while funneling Hapsburg gold into the coffers of Bonapartist resistance fighters.

[suburbanbeatnik]

I was interested about Napoleon ii , and do you think the reason or in part why his mother Marie Louise neglectfully treated him that way, was because of his French/ Corsican heritage, her Austrian prejudice upbringing against the French/Napoleon ? That’s would make sense on her having them (at times forcefully) assimilate him even altering his name.

Hmm, I think it's definitely possible. What do you think, @bunniesandbeheadings?

[napoleondidthat]

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

-Napoleon Bonaparte

[duchesssoflennox]

”In the Arms of Empires: The Tender Tableaux of Napoleonic Motherhood”✨️❤️🤍

Napoleon-Era Maternal Portraits That Stole Hearts💗💗💗

[historicconfessions]

[empirearchives]

France during the Marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise (Album du mariage de Marie-Louise et Napoléon Ier)

By Louis-Pierre Baltard — On the occasion of the wedding of Emperor Napoleon I and Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria, an illustrator, Louis-Pierre Baltard (1764-1846), undertook to retrace the ceremonies and festivals of the spring of 1810 and to make it the subject of an album drawn of eighteen sheets.

Images:

Illumination du Panthéon

Vue de l'Hôtel de Ville illuminé avec la tribune Impériale construite pour la circonstance

Illumination du pont de la Concorde et du Palais du Corps Législatif

Le Retour du cortège par la Galerie du Musée

Feu d'artifices et son décor élevé de l'autre de la Seine, quai Napoléon

Festin dans la deuxième salle provisoire construite dans la cour de l'Ecole Militaire

Le Banquet Impérial dans la salle de spectateur des Tuileries

Ascension en ballon de madame Blanchard

Ballet des danseurs de l'Opéra dans la salle de bal de l'Ecole Militaire

[isthenapoleoncute]

If one more person buys a Marie Louise for their napoleon I’m going to riot.

Yes Marie Louises are cute and cuddly and docile and seem to genuinely enjoy a napoleon’s company and napoleon’s enjoy theirs

But if a napoleon goes through any amount of stress a Marie Louise might unhinge her jaw and eat their chicks alive.

It’s a problem. Sad to see. Not worth it.

[gemville]

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

Source: Pinterest

[captainknell]

I know I've seen this actual photograph of Marie Louise before but I just saw it again and it's blowing my mind. She was Napoleon's wife. And there's a photograph. 🤯