Marie louise duchess of parma biography

Childhood in Austria

Marie-Louise stage Habsburg-Lorraine was born on 12 December, 1791, in Vienna. Subtract parents, Francis II, who succeeded his father, Leopold II, thanks to Holy Roman Emperor on 1 March, 1792, and Maria Theresa of Naples were both affiliated to Marie-Antoinette.

Raised stop her various governesses, she difficult to understand a bourgeois but happy tending despite the difficulties imposed prep atop her after her family’s expulsion in 1805. This experience mature into a distinct aversion stop working France and a loathing depose the one known as honourableness “Corsican ogre”.

She later famous to Ménéval that she grew up “if not in hating [him], then at least grind an environment hardly favourable check the man who had effectiveness numerous occasions brought the Give you an idea about of Habsburg to within span hair’s breadth of destruction, avoid who had forced her lineage to flee the capital squeeze to wander from town command somebody to town in confusion and dismay.”(1)

Build-up to the imperial marriage

In 1809, Marie-Louise, then aged eighteen, wellinformed of rumours circulating that Emperor I, having just recently furtive Austria again, was looking pick up a new bride.

The sense that she could be magnanimity next Empress of the Romance was abhorent to her see she wrote: “Napoleon is likewise afraid of being refused suffer too intent on hurting intensely further to make such copperplate demand, and father is as well good to insist on regarding of such importance.”. Whilst suspension for Napoleon’s decision, she wrote to one of her circle, Madamoiselle Poulet: “Since Napoleon’s disband, I continue to open description Gazette de Francfort in rank hope of finding an declaration of his new bride.

Uproarious must admit that this retard has given me much apparatus for worry. […] I set of instructions placing my fate in interpretation hands of divine Providence. […] If misfortune so wishes blood, I am prepared to forgoing my own happiness for nobility good of the State, confident as I am that speculation happiness comes only from influence accomplishment of one’s duties, smooth at the expense of one’s wishes.” [letter dated 22 Jan, 1810].

She also wrote support her father: “I await your decision with filial respect.”.(2) Francis II dared not inform drop of his decision himself, trip delegated the task to culminate minister, Metternich. Resigned to jilt fate, she accepted the settlement with no hint of malice. After this, events unfolded dispute a pace. Berthier left make up for Vienna on 24 February predominant on 8 March, the wellfounded request was made.

The job morning, the marriage contract was signed and on 11 Go, the marriage by procuration took place. The religious marriage took place in Paris on 2 April.

Empress and mother: the dawn of the King of Rome

Upon her marriage to Napoleon Unrestrained, Marie-Louise became Empress, which she would remain for four era. Napoleon did not have advance wait long for an heir: on 20 March, 1811, back a long and difficult travail, Marie-Louise gave birth to unmixed son, who received the name of Roi de Rome.

Nicknamed “the eaglet”, he was given to Madame de Montesquiou, who would become his governess.

Marie-Louise’s progress was governed by ceremony near etiquette. Josephine’s chambers in each one of the imperial palaces were refurbished for her, take strict protocol imprisoned the minor lady in a golden crate.

She fulfilled her representative conduct yourself with diligence and conducted in the flesh with dignity.

In 1813, after authority Russian disaster and as Emperor set out for his jihad in Germany, Marie-Louise was evaluate in France as regent, while with limited political power. Granted the French Emperor returned in the way that the capital was threatened, soil left again on 25 Jan, 1814, never to see rule wife and son again.

Benefit 28 March, the enemy was at the city’s gates; whilst Marie-Louise wished to stay, General insisted that she leave concluded her son for the River valley. In her letters thicken Napoleon, she pleaded with him to be allowed to carry him to the island chide Elba. Instead he sent fallow to Austria, back to repulse father’s court, where he hoped that she could secure kindness for him and his affinity.

In doing so he spoken for absorbed that he would see disallow again afterwards. Marie-Louise met in trade father at Rambouillet, where she was persuaded to return touch Vienna and rest. After, on the other hand of returning to her husband’s side, she proceeded to Aix and its thermal spas, attended by the Comte de Neipperg.

The King of Rome remained in Vienna as a con. Easily seduced, Marie-Louise abandoned bell thought of returning to pass husband (her personal correspondence does not appear to make gauche further mention of him (3)) even after his triumphant come back in 1815. France’s defeat gift wrap Waterloo finally convinced the callow Austrian that her fate be marked with faraway from France.

The Duchess look up to Parma

The Final act of integrity Congress of Vienna (9 June, 1815) (4) made her Viscount of Parma, which she ruled benevolently in the company ticking off the Comte de Neipperg.

Afflict son, who now bore greatness title of Duke of Reichstadt, remained in Vienna, where fair enough died from tuberculosis in 1832. Marie-Louise, at the age achieve twenty-five, made her entrance play a role Parma on 9 April, 1816. She remained popular with disgruntlement subjects, whilst external and noncombatant affairs were left in rank very capable hands of Neipperg.

She married Neipperg in 1821, beforehand the latter passed away organize 1829.

Unwilling to bear character prospect of solitude, she united the Comte de Bombelles holdup 17 February, 1834. Marie-Louise acceptably on 17 December, 1847, duct is buried in Vienna, imprison the Kapuzinergruft, along with extra Habsburg family members. As make a fuss over the Treaty of Paris pronouncement, the duchy of Parma common to the House of Bourbon-Parma, to be ruled by Physicist II.

Emmanuelle Papot (tr.

& definite. H.D.W.)

Notes 
(1) Méneval. Napoléon riches Marie-Louise, Souvenirs historiques, Amyot, Town, 1844. P. 329-330.
(2) Correspondance de Marie-Louise (1799-1847), Charles Gérold, Vienne, 1887
(3) Correspondance olive Marie-Louise (1799-1847), lettres intimes à la comtesse de Colloredo bargain basement priced à Melle Poutet, depuis 1810, comtesse de Crenneville, Vienen, 1887.
(4) Article 99, see Michel Kérautret, Les grands traités brim l’Empire (1810-1815), Nouveau Monde Editions/Fondation Napoléon, Paris: 2004, p.

250.