Author Archives: Scott

King Louis XVIII of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Louis XVIII of France; Credit – Wikipedia

King Louis XVIII of France was born at the Palace of Versailles in France on November 17, 1755, during the reign of his grandfather King Louis XV. He was the fifth of eight children of Louis, Dauphin of France and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. At the time of his birth, he was fourth in line to the French throne, following his father and two living elder brothers. At his christening, he was given the names Louis Stanislas Xavier and was styled Count of Provence from birth.

He had seven siblings:

Following the death of his eldest brother in 1761, Louis Stanislas and his brother Louis Auguste were educated by a series of tutors. Following his father’s death in 1765, he became second in line for the French throne. In 1771, his formal education came to an end, and he was granted his own household. He was also created Duke of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Perche, and Count of Senoches, but remained styled as Count of Provence.

Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence, c1780. source: Wikipedia

Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence, source: Wikipedia

On May 14, 1771, at the Palace of Versailles, Louis married Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, the daughter of the future King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. From all accounts, the marriage was far from loving, with Louis finding his bride ugly and repulsive of character. Other than several miscarriages, the couple had no children.

King Louis XV died in April 1774 and was succeeded by Louis Stanislas’s elder brother Louis Auguste, who became King Louis XVI. Louis Stanislas was the heir-presumptive to the French throne until the birth of King Louis XVI’s son in 1781. During his brother’s reign, Louis Auguste lived a relatively private and quiet life. He installed his mistress in a small pavilion at Versailles and spent much of his time there, developing his massive collection of books.

Louis Stanislas, Count of Provence; Credit – Wikipedia

Following the Storming of the Bastille, on July 14, 1789, Louis chose to remain at Versailles, while his younger brother, the future King Charles X, left the country and settled in Sardinia. For some time, they lived normal lives at Versailles, but in October of that year, the entire French royal family was forced to return to Paris. Louis Stanislas and his wife took up residence at the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. Finally, in June 1791, Louis Stanislas and Marie Joséphine fled to the Austrian Netherlands.

The monarchy was formally abolished in September 1792, and King Louis XVI was executed the following January. After the king’s son died in 1795, Louis Stanislas became the titular King of France. In 1798, he was given the use of Jelgava Palace in Courland (now Latvia) by Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, in addition to a large pension. At Jelgava, Louis Stanislas attempted to recreate the court of Versailles and all the pomp and ceremony that entailed. He arranged for the marriage of his niece and daughter of King Louis XVI Marie-Thérèse and his nephew Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême at Jelgava in 1799, and soon made efforts to begin a correspondence with Napoleon Bonaparte, in hopes of restoring the Bourbons to the French throne.

After being forced to leave Jelgava in 1801, Louis Stanislas took up residence in Warsaw (then part of southern Prussia). Two years later, Napoleon tried to force Louis to give up his rights to the French throne, which he refused. After Napoleon declared himself Emperor of the French in 1804, the Prussian King forced Louis to leave Prussian territory, and he returned to Jelgava Palace in Courland, at the invitation of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. However, by 1807, the Russian Emperor could no longer guarantee his safety. After briefly traveling to Sweden, Louis Stanislas moved to England where he leased Gosfield Hall in Essex. In 1808, he brought his wife to England, and the couple moved to Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire. With their rent paid by the King, the couple also enjoyed a close relationship with the Prince Regent (the future King George IV) who provided them with a very generous allowance and granted them permanent asylum in Great Britain.

In April 1814, following Napoleon’s overthrow, the French Senate restored the Bourbons to the French throne. Louis Stanislas officially became King Louis XVIII. In ill health, Louis XVIII sent his younger brother Charles to serve as Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom until he could arrive. King Louis XVIII arrived in Paris at the beginning of May and immediately took up residence at the Tuileries Palace. The monarchy was much different than it had been before the Revolution. Soon after assuming the throne, and under pressure to establish a new constitution, King Louis issued the Charter of 1814, establishing a bicameral legislature and maintaining the King as Head of State. He also signed the Treaty of Paris on May 30, 1814.

King Louis XVIII, c1815. source: Wikipedia

King Louis XVIII, c1815. source: Wikipedia

In February 1815, Napoleon escaped from his imprisonment in Elba and returned to France. Louis XVIII assumed that he would easily overcome any attempts by the former Emperor to regain the throne. However, he did not anticipate the large number of troops who would side with Napoleon. When Paris fell, Louis XVIII fled the city, taking up residence in the Netherlands. His exile would be short-lived. Napoleon was once again defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, and King Louis XVIII was restored to the throne.

Following his restoration, King Louis XVIII voluntarily relinquished much of his political role, leaving many of his responsibilities to his ministers. Having been in ill health for much of his adult life, Louis XVIII again fell ill in early 1824, suffering from gout, gangrene, and extreme obesity. He died at the Louvre Palace in Paris, France on September 16, 1824, and is buried in the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris.

Grave of Louis XVIII at the Basilica of Saint-Denis; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Margaret Elphinstone Rhodes, 1925-2016

by The Laird o’ Thistle
November 28, 2016

The Queen’s cousin, who was almost a second sister to her, died this last weekend at age 91. Margaret Rhodes was, simply, the last of the HM’s truly lifelong companions. Descended from two historic Scottish families (Elphinstone and Bowes-Lyon), she was a niece of the late Queen Mother, and a goddaughter of the Queen’s father, King George VI. She was ten months older than HM. As children, the cousins galloped and played horses together, and enjoyed other mad games with family and friends. When WWII broke out in 1939, Cousin Margaret stayed on with the two Princesses – Elizabeth and Margaret Rose – safely tucked away at Balmoral until nearly Christmas, when it was at last deemed safe for the girls to rejoin their families. As the war proceeded and the girls became older, Margaret Elphinstone came down from Scotland to live at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, and to do her bit… eventually becoming a secretary for MI6. Her memories included going to shelter with the King, Queen, and Princesses during air raids. She was a principal member of the party on the famous “night out” for Elizabeth and Margaret, with the crowds on VE Day. She was a bridesmaid at Princess Elizabeth’s marriage to Prince Philip in 1947.

In later years she went on to marry, raise a family, and have many adventures. But she always remained close to her aunt and cousins… entertaining them at her home in Devon, and joining them regularly at Balmoral. In 1981 she and her terminally ill husband moved to a house on the Windsor Castle estate, where he would be closer to medical treatment. After his death, she became a member of the Queen Mother’s household, companioning and serving her aunt until her death. She sat with the Queen at the Queen Mother’s bedside during the latter’s final hours. In the years since the two cousins continued to spend time together, both on holiday together at Balmoral and in regular Sunday visits, after church in the little chapel next to Royal Lodge, when the Queen would stop in for a cuppa and a chat. It is reported that HM visited her cousin during her final illness.

Second, only to Prince Philip, Mrs. Rhodes has been the “nearest living relation” of Queen Elizabeth II over these last fifteen years since the deaths of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. Although the Queen has a good relationship with her Windsor cousins (the Kents and the Duke of Gloucester) they are not nearly as close, nor are they quite her peers in age. The impact of this death on HM will doubtless be significant, even as the monarch’s legendary self-discipline will, again, without doubt, keep her determinedly “carrying on” in her duties as long as she is able. Thankfully, she does still have Prince Philip, her “rock and stay”, at her side.

In her 2011 memoir, The Final Curtsey, Margaret Rhodes made it clear that she… like the Queen… was a person of faith. She looked forward, she said, to the next “great adventure” that lies beyond. With that in mind, there seems no better way to end this particular column than with words from the final verse of Henry Baker’s beloved old paraphrase of Psalm 23:

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house forever.

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson

A Windsor Centenary, Eighty Years, Seventy, and Sixty-five

by The Laird o’ Thistle
November 19, 2016

It has been some time since I wrote, not since before the Queen surpassed her great-great-grandmother to become the longest reigning monarch in British history, and before she surpassed the personal milestone of her 90th birthday. Coverage of these and other royal events in Britain has been well handled, and I really have not seen what I might usefully add to the mix. That said, there is something that I would like to point out about the upcoming twelve months.

On Sunday, 20 November, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip observe their 69th wedding anniversary, beginning their 70th year of marriage. From that mark, beginning in December 2016, there are a significant number of British royal milestones coming up in the next year. There is a centenary. There are a couple of important eightieth anniversaries. And, there is a series of important seventieth anniversaries, culminating on 20 November 2017. All of them are closely tied to HM Queen Elizabeth II, who also marks the sixty-fifth anniversary of her reign in 2017.

First, the Centenary of the House of Windsor: On 17 July 1917, toward the end of the third full year of World War I, the British royal family changed its name. At the instance of King George V, the briefly tenured House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which began in 1901 when Edward VII succeeded Queen Victoria, the last Hanoverian, assumed a new identity as the House of Windsor. The stories of that change, in the face of wartime anti-German sentiment, are familiar to many. Also familiar is the fact that other branches of the extended British royal family were compelled to follow suit, including the members of the Battenberg family, who became Mountbattens.

In the century since, obviously, those two particular families have come together. Although officially a member of the Danish-Greek branch of the House of Oldenburg, Prince Philip assumed his maternal line surname when he was naturalized as a British subject in March 1947… seventy years ago. Upon Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne, under pressure from Queen Mary (her grandmother) and Winston Churchill, it was announced that despite custom the official name of the British royal house and family would remain Windsor. (Lord Louis Mountbatten’s indiscreet boasting is said to have provoked Queen Mary.) In 1960 the Queen somewhat ameliorated this with the declaration that the actual surname of her descendants, apart from any royal titles, was to be “Mountbatten-Windsor”. The surname was first officially used by Princess Anne in 1973, in signing the register at her marriage to Captain Mark Philips. It has cropped up occasionally since then.

On 17 July 2017, then, the ninety-one-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, and her ninety-six-year-old husband will observe the 100th anniversary of both their families. So far as I know, no plans have yet been announced for how the anniversary will be marked, but given the Queen’s personal memory of, and deep connection to, her royal grandparents, and Prince Phillip’s corresponding attachment to his Mountbatten kin, it will doubtless be commemorated… perhaps at St. George’s, Windsor.

Second, come two significant eightieth anniversaries: On 11 December 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated and was succeeded by King George VI. At the same moment, of course, 10 ½-year-old Princess Elizabeth became Heiress Presumptive to the throne. In the following spring, on 17 May 1937, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the late Queen Mum) were crowned at Westminster Abbey. Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret both took part in the coronation and balcony appearances afterward, under the stern gaze of their granny, Queen Mary.

The anniversaries of her father’s accession and her parents’ coronation will, doubtless, be more personal than public for the Queen. Nonetheless, they also mark her own entry into official public life in the United Kingdom, some fifteen years prior to her own accession.

Third comes a series of seventieth anniversaries: We have already quietly passed the anniversary of the private consent of King George VI that his daughter could wed Prince Phillip, which occurred in the summer of 1946. The king’s stipulation, however, was that the engagement not be made public until after Princess Elizabeth’s twenty-first birthday on 21 April 1947.

That birthday, most famously, was marked by the “my whole life, whether it be long or short…” speech given by the Princess. Broadcasting to the entire Empire/Commonwealth from South Africa, where the family was on an official tour, the Princess dedicated herself to the service of “our great imperial family, to which we all belong.” In a way, this may be the most important of all the 2017 anniversaries. It is remarkable that seventy years on, she still lives out that commitment daily.

The other anniversaries in this series relate to the Queen and Prince Phillip’s marriage. As noted, the Prince became a British subject, assuming the Mountbatten surname, in March 1947. Their engagement was publicly announced on 10 July 1947. On the eve of their wedding, Philip… along with Princess Elizabeth… was made a Knight of the Garter. He was also made Duke of Edinburgh (etc.) and designated a Royal Highness by King George VI. The royal couple was then married on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey.

Seventieth wedding anniversaries are much more common at present than once seemed imaginable, given the combination of younger ages at marriage in that time, together with increased longevity, and the greater long-term stability of marriages from that generation (than current). That the Queen and Prince Phillip will… God willing… reached this milestone is, nonetheless, a great achievement for them both as spouses and as working partners.

Finally, in tenure: On 6 February 2017, Queen Elizabeth II will quietly mark the sixty-fifth anniversary of the death of her beloved father, and her own accession to the throne. Sadly, for her, shortly on the heels of this will come the fifteenth anniversary of the deaths of both her beloved sister and their mother.

As the Queen said in September last year (2015), a long life means passing many milestones. Some are things that have simply occurred, others are things achieved. More than anything else, in my opinion, 2017 marks the seventy years of “devoted service” by Queen Elizabeth II to the “great family” of former Empire and current Commonwealth. Seventy years of service to the century-old House of Windsor, and the Mountbatten-Windsor family. Seventy years of commitment and life together with a beloved husband and partner. Her whole, now long, life of devoted service is an achievement, possibly never to be matched.

Whether 2017 proves to be the culminating year… not in the sense of final, but perhaps in the sense of climatic significance… of the reign of an increasingly elderly and frail couple remains to be seen. The time, for them… and all of us… is not just moving on but counting down. Prince Phillip, over the years, has said that it is really rather obscene to try to create or define a legacy for oneself. But in a way his wife did so, lang syne, back in her own so-called “salad days”, with a speech from a Cape Town garden on a sunny April day…

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson

Marie Louise of Austria, Empress of the French

by Scott Mehl and Susan Flantzer   © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Marie Louise of Austria, Empress of the French; Credit – Wikipedia

Archduchess Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Therese Josepha of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla in her own right. She was born on December 12, 1791, at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria, the eldest child of Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor (later Emperor Franz I of Austria), and Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily. She had eleven siblings:

Maria Ludovica (far right) with her parents and siblings, painted by Josef Kreutzinger, c1805. source: Wikipedia

Maria Ludovica spent her childhood living at Hofburg Palace and Schönbrunn Palace and was her father’s favorite daughter. She did not, however, have a close relationship with her mother, who showed little affection for her children. She received a traditional education at court, with much focus on religion and languages, becoming fluent in at least six. From a young age, she developed a dislike for all things French. This was greatly influenced by her grandmother a sister of the French Queen Marie Antoinette who was killed during the French Revolution when Maria Ludovica was just a toddler. She lost her mother in 1807 but became close to her stepmother, Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, who was very close in age.

The marriage of Napoleon and Maria Ludovica, painted by Georges Rouget, 1810. source: Wikipedia

By the end of 1809, the French Emperor Napoleon was searching for a new bride who could bear him an heir and set his sights on the leading royal families of Europe. When his focus turned toward a Russian Grand Duchess, the Austrian Prime Minister, Count Metternich, encouraged the Austrian Emperor to suggest his own daughter, Maria Ludovica. Ending his quest for a Russian bride, Napoleon began negotiations to take Maria Ludovica as his wife. A marriage contract was signed in February 1810, and the couple was married by proxy on March 11, 1810, at the Augustinian Church in Vienna. The young Maria Ludovica became Empress of the French and Queen of Italy, taking on the French version of her name, Marie Louise.

After leaving Vienna, she arrived in France and met her husband for the first time on March 27, 1810, in Compiègne, France. A civil wedding was held on April 1, 1810, in the Grand Hall of the Château of Saint-Cloud, and the following day, the couple made their grand entrance into Paris, arriving at the Tuileries Palace. They then made their way to the Louvre Palace, where their religious ceremony was held in the Salon Carré.

Marie Louise settled in quickly to her role as Empress, although she wasn’t always welcomed by those in the French court. Too recent memories of the last Austrian consort – Marie Antoinette – had many wary of their new Empress. She was also very timid and reserved and did not speak much publicly, which didn’t help to reassure many people that she was any different from her great-aunt. But the Emperor went out of his way to make her as comfortable as possible and appears to have developed quite a love for his second wife. Soon, the couple had their only child:

Empress Marie Louise with her son, painted by François Gérard, 1813. source: Wikipedia

On a trip to Austria in 1812, just before France invaded Russia, Marie Louise met Count Adam Albert von Neipperg for the first time. Little did she know at the time that their paths would cross again in a few years, in a much different manner. After disastrous results against Russia, Napoleon soon saw the collapse of his empire. Prussia and the United Kingdom soon joined forces with Russia, declaring war on France. Marie Louise tried to get her father to join forces with France, but Austria, too, soon joined the coalition against Napoleon.

On March 29, 1814, with her husband leading his troops to try to stave off an invasion, Marie Louise and her court left Paris and moved to Blois. Days later, the French Senate deposed the Emperor, and he formally abdicated on April 11, 1814, at the Château of Fontainebleau. Under the terms of the Treaty of Fontainebleau, Marie Louise retained her rank and style and was granted the duchies of Parma, Placentia, and Guastalla, with her son as her heir.

Dissuaded from joining her husband, Marie Louise soon returned to Vienna, taking up residence at Schönbrunn Palace. Several months later, she planned a visit to the spas in Aix-les-Bains. In order to keep her from trying to join her husband in Elba, her father sent Count von Neipperg to accompany her. The two soon fell in love, and von Neipperg became her Chamberlain and represented her at the Congress of Vienna. The news of this romance caused quite a bit of scandal, both in France and Austria.

Count Adam Albert von Neipperg. source: Wikipedia

Following Napoleon’s escape and return to power in 1815, Marie Louise remained in Austria, asking that her husband would agree to an “amicable separation”. After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and his exile to Saint Helena in October 1815, the two had no further contact. Meanwhile, the Congress of Vienna modified the decisions of the Treaty of Fontainebleau. Maria Louise remained Duchess of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla, but only for her lifetime, and she was prohibited from bringing her son to Italy. She also lost her title as Empress and was then styled as Her Majesty Archduchess of Austria, Duchess of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla. Accompanied by Count von Neipperg, she arrived in Parma in early 1816. Despite still being legally married to Napoleon, she and von Neipperg had three children:

  • Albertine, Countess of Montenuovo (1817 – 1867), married Luigi Sanvitale, Count of Fontanellato
  • William Albert, Prince of Montenuovo (1819 – 1895), married Countess Juliana Batthyány von Németújvár, had three children
  • Mathilde, Countess of Montenuovo (1822 – circa 1823)

Following Napoleon’s death, Marie Louise and von Neipperg were married morganatically on August 8, 1821, before their third child was born. The Count died several years later – on February 22, 1829 – leaving Marie Louise devastated.

In 1831, Marie Louise found herself caught up in the uprisings spreading around Italy against the Austrian-appointed Prime Minister. Initially prevented from leaving Parma, she managed to escape to Piacenza. She asked her father to replace the Prime Minister, but he instead sent Austrian forces to suppress the rebellion. The following year, Marie Louise traveled back to Vienna and was at the bedside of her son when he died of tuberculosis in July 1832.

Count Charles-René de Bombelles. source: Wikipedia

Soon, Marie Louise would marry for the third time. In the summer of 1833, the Austrian court sent Count Charles-René de Bombelles to Parma to serve as head of the court. Six months later, on February 17, 1834, Bombelles and Marie Louise were married.

Daguerreotype of Marie Louise, 1847. source: Wikipedia

As Duchess of Parma, Marie Louise supported many causes, with much of her efforts going toward improving medical care and treatment. She established a childbirth hospital and a training school for nurses, as well as a hospital for those with mental illness. She worked toward ensuring that the Duchy was as prepared as possible for potential outbreaks of disease, and her efforts helped to minimize the number of deaths in a cholera outbreak that came to Parma in 1836. She also promoted the establishment of roads and bridges and was a great supporter of music and theater. Having established a new Ducal Theater in the 1820s, she made sure that tickets were made available at prices that would allow the less fortunate to attend. She established the Conservatory of Parma and supported numerous artists, including the famed composer Giuseppe Verdi. She also brought libraries, museums, and art galleries to Parma, and founded several schools and colleges.

Tomb in the Imperial Crypt. source: Wikipedia

In early December 1847, Maria Louise fell ill with pleurisy and her condition quickly worsened. She died on December 17, 1847, in Parma, Duchy of Parma, now in Italy, at the age of 56 and was interred at the Capuchin Church in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, the traditional burial site of the Austrian Habsburgs.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of the French

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

painting by Baron François Gérard, c1807. source: Wikipedia

Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of the French; Credit – Wikipedia

Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. She was born Marie-Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (known as Rose), on June 23, 1763, in Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique, the eldest daughter of Joseph-Gaspard Tascher, Seigneur de la Pagerie, and Rose Claire des Vergers de Sannois.

Joséphine had two younger sisters:

  • Catherine-Désirée Tascher de La Pagerie (1764 – 1777)
  • Marie-Françoise Tascher de La Pagerie (1766 – 1791)

Joséphine’s childhood was spent on the Caribbean island of Martinique, a French possession, where her father owned a large plantation. However, after their home was destroyed by a hurricane in 1766, and combined with her father’s mismanagement of the land, the family lost much of their fortune. Young Rose did not attend school until she was ten years-old, when she was finally sent to a religious boarding school in the nearby town of Fort Royal, now Fort-de-France.

Joséphine’s aunt was the mistress of François V de Beauharnais, Viscount de Beauharnais, and had arranged a marriage between the Viscount’s son, Alexandre and Rose’s younger sister Catherine-Désirée in 1777. However, after Catherine-Désirée died in 1777, it was decided that Rose would become his bride. On December 13, 1779, she married Alexandre de Beauharnais in Noisy-le-Grand, France. Rose and Alexandre’s descendants sit on the thrones of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Rose and Alexandre’s children:

The marriage was unhappy, and Alexandre wasted most of his fortune. In December 1785, the couple separated. Rose and her children took up residence at the Pentemont Abbey in Paris. In March 1794, her estranged husband was arrested during the Reign of Terror. Despite their separation, Rose was also arrested in April 1794 and held in the Carmes prison. Alexandre was sentenced to death and executed by guillotine on July 23, 1794. Rose was released five days later, and the following year was able to reclaim her late husband’s possessions.

“The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries”, painted by Jacques-Louis David, 1812. source: Wikipedia

“The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries” painted by Jacques-Louis David, 1812. source: Wikipedia

Through those years of separation, Rose had several affairs and had become prominent in Parisian society. In 1795, she met her future husband Napoleon Bonaparte, and quickly became his mistress. They became engaged in January 1796 and married on March 9, 1796 in Paris. It was Napoleon who began calling her Joséphine, the name with which history has remembered her. Two days after the wedding, Napoleon left to fight in Italy, leaving his new wife alone. She soon began an affair with Hippolyte Charles, a lieutenant in the French forces. The affair lasted for several years until Napoleon threatened to divorce her, and she ended her relationship with Charles.

In April 1799, while her husband was away, fighting in the Egyptian Campaign, Joséphine purchased the Château de Malmaison, a few miles outside Paris. A large manor house set on nearly 150 acres, Malmaison was run down and needed significant restoration. Joséphine spent large amounts of money to create a home fit for an Emperor and Empress and devoted much of her time to developing the gardens and grounds. She had an orangery built to grow pineapple plants and a greenhouse where she grew several hundred plants that had not been grown in France before. She also developed a magnificent rose garden with over 250 different varieties of roses from around the world. In addition, she gathered a menagerie of animals that roamed in the gardens, many brought from Australia after the Baudin expedition of 1800-1803.

The crowning of Empress Joséphine, from “The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Joséphine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804”, painted by Jacques-Louis David. source: Wikipedia

Crowning of Empress Joséphine, from “The Consecration of Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of  Empress Joséphine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804” painted by Jacques-Louis David. source: Wikipedia

In November 1799, Napoleon was named First Consul of the French Republic, and the couple took up residence at the Tuileries Palace. Five years later, on May 18, 1804, Joséphine became Empress of the French when her husband was elected Emperor. They were crowned in a lavish coronation ceremony held at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, on December 2, 1804.

While Joséphine was able to provide a lovely home for her husband, the one thing she was unable to give him was an heir. Without a son, Napoleon had named Joséphine’s grandson (and his nephew), Napoleon Charles Bonaparte, as his heir. After the young Napoleon died in 1807, the Emperor considered finding another wife who could provide him with a son. In November 1809, he told Joséphine that he planned to divorce her and find a new wife.

painting by Andrea Appiani. source: Wikipedia

Joséphine, painting by Andrea Appiani. c1808. source: Wikipedia

Joséphine agreed to a divorce, and an elaborate divorce ceremony was held on January 10, 1810. Joséphine retained her title as Empress and her rank at court and received an annual pension of 5 million francs. She received several residences, including the Château de Navarre in Normandy and the Élysée Palace in Paris. Napoleon would later ask her to return the  Élysée Palace for his use and offered her the Château de Laeken in present-day Belgium instead. Napoleon had created Joséphine Duchess of Navarre at the time of their divorce. After living at the Château de Navarre for two years, Joséphine returned to the Château de Malmaison, where would live for the rest of her life.

On May 29, 1814, Joséphine died at the age of 50 from pneumonia. She was buried in the nearby church of Saint-Pierre-Saint Paul in Rueil-Malmaison, France, in a temporary vault. In 1825, Joséphine’s remains were transferred to the tomb ordered by her two children Eugene and Hortense. Napoleon’s true love had been his first wife and his last words were, “France, army, head of the army, Joséphine.”

Tomb of Empress Joséphine at Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul Church; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maria Antonia of Austria, Queen of France (Marie Antoinette)

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Marie Antoinette, painted by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, c1783. source: Wikipedia

Marie Antoinette, painted by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, c1783. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie Antoinette of France was born Archduchess Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, on November 2, 1755, at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Her parents were Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right and Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor Maria Antonia was the fifteenth of her parents’ sixteen children.

Maria Antonia’s siblings:

Educated privately at home, Maria Antonia was not a very good student, especially compared to her siblings. However, she did become an accomplished musician, playing the flute, harp, and harpsichord. She was particularly close to her sister Maria Carolina who was just three years older.

The marriage of Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste, 17xx. source: Wikipedia

The marriage of Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste, 1770. source: Wikipedia

After establishing peace with France, Empress Maria Theresa agreed to a marriage between Maria Antonia and Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France (the future King Louis XVI). Maria Antonia was just 13 when the engagement was announced on June 13, 1769. The couple married by proxy on April 19, 1770, at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria. She took the French version of her name, becoming Marie Antoinette, Dauphine of France. The following month, she arrived in her new country and met her husband for the first time. Two days later, on May 16, 1770, she and Louis-Auguste were married in a grand ceremony held in the Chapel Royal of the Palace of Versailles. They went on to have four children:

As the new Dauphine of France, Marie Antoinette received a mixed reception.  Well-liked by the common people, particularly due to her beauty and warm personality, she was distrusted by those who still held resentment over the country’s contentious relationship with Austria.  Upon becoming Queen when King Louis XV in May 1774, she found that she had little influence on her husband, often finding her requests being blocked by two of his ministers. To appease her, King Louis XVI gave her the Petit Trianon on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, built by King Louis XV as a home for his mistress Madame de Pompadour.  However, she died before its completion, and it became the home of her successor Madame du Barry who had a tense relationship with Marie Antoinette.  The chateau became Marie Antoinette’s retreat, where she could escape the immense pressure and judgment she faced in the French court.

Marie Antoinette also had a small hamlet built within the grounds of the Petit Trianon, known as the Queen’s Hamlet (Hameau de la reine).  The hamlet contained numerous buildings, including the Queen’s House, a mill, a dairy, and a farm.  It was here that the Queen truly found her privacy, allowing only her closest friends and family to visit her there.

Two years later, King Louis XVI purchased the Château de Saint-Cloud from Louis Phillipe I, Duke of Orleans for his wife.  Marie Antoinette felt the clear air outside the city would be better for her children.  As she had done with the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette transformed her new home, expanding the building and decorating it with lavish furniture commissioned specifically for the chateau.

Marie Antoinette in court dress, c1788. Painted by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. source: Wikipedia

Marie Antoinette in court dress, c1788. Painted by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. source: Wikipedia

As Queen, Marie Antoinette was often criticized for her spending, indulging in lavish gowns and other luxuries while the country was in a financial crisis.  This would contribute to a growing animosity from the French people and the “old guard” within the French court.  She introduced new styles in clothing and hairstyles and indulged herself in music and theater.  Over time, she began to exert more political influence, encouraging her husband to replace several of his older ministers, and prodding him to become involved in the American Revolution.  Along with gaining the support of Russia and Austria in efforts to block Great Britain’s attack, she also pushed strongly for the appointment of several ministers who helped in the American defeat of the British.

By the mid-1780s, Marie Antoinette was the subject of endless gossip and character attacks from the French people.  Rumors abounded that her second son was not fathered by her husband, that she was treating the French treasury as her own bank account, and that she held Austrian interests ahead of French interests.  In 1785, she was falsely accused in the Diamond Necklace Affair, further damaging her reputation.  Attempting to improve her image, she began to focus more publicly on the upbringing and education of her children, and spending more time in her public role and duties as Queen.  However, the tides of revolution were soon to come to the shores of France.  By 1789, the King had lost much of his absolute power to the National Assembly, and the majority of French people saw no benefit in retaining the monarchy.

Marie Antoinette facing the mob at the Tuileries Palace, June 1792. source: Wikipedia

Marie Antoinette facing the mob at the Tuileries Palace, June 1792. source: Wikipedia

After a failed attempt to escape Paris in 1791 ended what little support was left for the monarchy, the royal family was held under house arrest at the Tuileries Palace.  On June 20, 1792, a mob broke into the Palace, threatening the Queen’s life.  Spared this time, her luck would not be so good several months later when another mob stormed the palace on August 10, 1792.  This time, the family sought refuge at the Legislative Assembly but were arrested several days later, and imprisoned at the Temple.  On September 21, 1792, France officially abolished the monarchy and became a Republic.  Marie Antoinette, her husband, and their family were stripped of their titles and honors, becoming known simply as Monsieur and Madame Capet.

King Louis XVI was soon separated from his family and charged with undermining the French Republic.  He was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death.  The former King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793.

Marie Antoinette while a prisoner at The Temple, painted by Alexandre Kucharski c1792. source: Wikipedia

Marie Antoinette while a prisoner at The Temple, painted by Alexandre Kucharski c1792. source: Wikipedia

While held as a prisoner in the Temple, Marie Antoinette and her children were the cause of much debate, as the National Convention tried to determine what should be done with the former Queen.  While some argued she should be put to death, others suggested holding her for ransom from the Holy Roman Empire, exchanging her for French prisoners of war, or exiling her to America.  In July 1793, her son was taken from her, with the intent of turning him against his mother.  Weeks later, on August 1, she was taken from the Temple and placed in a small cell in the Conciergerie. The once Queen of the French was now known as ‘Prisoner No. 280’.

On October 14, 1793, Marie Antoinette was tried by the Revolutionary Tribunal.  Among other things, she was charged with organizing orgies at Versailles, sending millions in French treasury money to Austria, and planning the massacre of the National Guards. There were also charges of incest with her son.  Two days later, she was found guilty of the main charges and sentenced to death.

Execution of Marie Antoinette, source: Wikipedia

Execution of Marie Antoinette, source: Wikipedia

Just after noon on October 16, 1793, Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine in the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde). She was buried in an unmarked grave in the Madeleine Cemetery. In 1815, her remains, along with those of her husband, were re-interred at the Basilica of Saint-Denis.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Louis XVI of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

painting by Antoine-François Callet. source: Wikipedia

King Louis XVI of France-source: Wikipedia

 

King Louis XVI of France reigned from 1774 until 1792, losing his throne and his life as a result of the French Revolution. He was born Louis-Auguste, Duc de Berry, on August 23, 1754, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France,  the third son of Louis, Dauphin of France (son of King Louis XV) and Maria Josepha of Saxony. He had seven siblings:

As a younger son, Louis-Auguste was not given the same attention his older brother received. But he excelled in his studies – Latin, history, geography, and astronomy, and became fluent in several languages. As his older brother had died, Louis-Auguste became the Dauphin – heir to the French throne – upon his father’s death in 1765 from tuberculosis. His mother died two years later. His education continued under the direction of the Duc de La Vauguyon, studying religion, humanities, and morality. He would later find that he was unprepared to assume the throne.

In 1770, his grandfather, King Louis XV, allied with Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, and soon a marriage was arranged between the two dynasties. Louis-Auguste became engaged to Empress Maria Theresa’s youngest daughter Maria Antonia. The two were second cousins, once removed, through their mutual descent from Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.

The marriage of Louis-Auguste and Maria Antoinette, May 16, 1770. source: Wikipedia

The marriage of Louis-Auguste and Maria Antoinette, May 16, 1770. source: Wikipedia

After a marriage by proxy at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria, the young bride took on the French version of her name – Marie Antoinette – and soon made her way to France. The couple first met on May 14, 1770, in Compiègne, France, and were married two days later in the chapel at the Palace of Versailles. Because of the recent Seven Years’ War, and the general animosity toward Austria, there was much public hostility against the marriage. Eventually, despite not having consummated their marriage until 1777, the couple had four children:

Queen Marie Antoinette with the couple's three eldest children, painted by Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, c1786. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie Antoinette with the couple’s three eldest children, painted by Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, c1786. source: Wikipedia

Upon his grandfather’s death, Louis-Auguste became King Louis XVI of France on May 10, 1774. Just 19 years old, and notably unprepared for his role, he faced growing distrust of the monarchy and a country deeply in debt. However, he initially gained support from the French people, often considering public opinion when making decisions. His coronation was held on June 11, 1775, at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims.  In 1787, he issued the Edict of Versailles, to counteract the religious persecution that had been in place since the Edict of Fontainebleau 102 years earlier. Non-Catholics in France were given the right to openly practice their religion, and received legal and civil status.

Loius XVI’s attempts at financial reforms angered the French people and contributed to the fall of the monarchy. As he saw his power diminishing, he was forced to convoke the Estates-General for the first time since 1614, to come up with solutions to the dire financial problems of the French government. Divided into three groups – the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the common people (Third Estate), they quickly came to an impasse over how votes would be taken. Eventually, in June 1789, the Third Estate declared itself as the National Assembly and asked the other two to join them, bringing about the outbreak of the French Revolution. Just weeks later, the revolutionaries stormed the Bastille. Within months, King Louis XVI saw the majority of his power handed over to the elected representatives of the French people.

With growing distrust in the monarchy and a quickly spreading hatred of the Austrian Queen Marie Antoinette, compounded once again by the King’s inability or unwillingness to make, and stick to, strong decisions, he soon found that he was losing the support of the more moderate politicians in the French government.  On October 5, 1789, an angry mob of women marched to Versailles, gaining entry to the palace with plans to kill Queen Marie Antoinette. After the intervention of the Marquis de Lafayette who calmed the crowd, the King and his family were brought to the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

The King and his family being brought back to Paris, June 25, 1791. From a drawing by Jean-Louis Prieur. source: Wikipedia

The King and his family being brought back to Paris, June 25, 1791. From a drawing by Jean-Louis Prieur. source: Wikipedia

With the monarchy’s future looking very bleak, Louis XVI planned to escape Paris and travel to the northeastern border where he could be protected by Austria. Know as the Flight to Varennes, the plan failed miserably. On June 21, 1791, the King and his family secretly fled the palace but were captured and arrested the following day. Once again, the King’s indecisiveness and his misguided belief that the majority of his people supported him, led to the plan falling apart. Brought back to the Tuileries Palace, the family was placed under heavy security to prevent another chance of escape. Weeks later, on July 6, Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, and brother of Queen Marie Antoinette, issued the Padua Circular, calling on the other sovereigns of Europe to join together in demanding that King Louis XVI be given his freedom.

On August 27, 1791, Leopold II and King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, stating their support for King Louis XVI against the French Revolution. Interpreting this as the Emperor’s intention to go to war, the National Assembly instead declared war on Austria on April 20, 1792. However, the insufficient number of troops and the military’s disorganization caused their efforts to fail miserably. Soon, the Duke of Brunswick led a joint Prussian and Austrian army into France. On July 25, 1792, he issued the Brunswick Manifesto, stating that the Prussians and Austrians intended to restore King Louis XVI to his full power and would support this effort by any force necessary. The manifesto proved to be more harmful than helpful. To many, this reinforced their belief that the King was conspiring against his own country. Within weeks, the people revolted, storming the Tuileries Palace and forcing the royal family to take refuge in the Legislative Assembly on August 10, 1792.

The following day, King Louis XVI was arrested and imprisoned in the Temple in Paris. Five weeks later, on September 21, the National Assembly declared a Republic, abolishing the monarchy, and stripping the King and his family of all their titles and honors. The former King of France was now known as Citizen Louis Capet. The King was brought to trial in December 1792, with 33 charges against him. Despite bringing together some of the most esteemed legal experts to mount his defense, the King was found guilty on January 15, 1793. The following day, the National Convention, by a narrow margin, voted in favor of execution.

The Execution of King Louis XVI. source: Wikipedia

The Execution of King Louis XVI. source: Wikipedia

On the morning of January 21, 1793, Louis made his final confession and attended Mass. He then traveled by carriage from the Tower, through the streets of Paris, to the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde) where he was beheaded by guillotine. His body was taken to the Madeleine Cemetery, where a brief memorial service was held. His remains were dumped from their coffin into a grave, with his severed head placed at his feet. Years later, in 1815, on the anniversary of the King’s execution, the remains of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette,  also executed, were reinterred at the Basilica of Saint-Denis. On the site of his original burial, in the churchyard of La Madeleine, now stands the Chapelle expiatoire, built by King Louis XVIII in honor of his elder brother.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie Leszczyńska, Queen of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Maria Leszczyńska, Queen of France; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska was the wife of King Louis XV of France. She was born on June 23, 1703, in Trzebnica, Silesia (now Poland) to Stanisław I Leszczyński and his wife Catherine Opalińska. She had one older sister, Anna (born 1699), who died at the age of 18.

The year after her birth, her father was made King of Poland by King Carl XII of Sweden, who had invaded the country that year. He reigned as King Stanisław I until 1709 when the Swedish forces were defeated. The family took up residence in Kristianstad, Sweden, and became prominent members of Swedish society. They later moved to Zweibrücken, then personal union with Sweden, now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. After the death of King Carl XII,  the family moved to Wissembourg in France, where they were largely supported by Philippe I, Duke of Orléans who was serving as Regent for the young King Louis XV.  Maria’s father became King of Poland again in 1733, reigning until being forced to abdicate in 1736. He was then created Duke of Lorraine by his son-in-law King Louis XV.

King Louis XV of France; Credit – Wikipedia

After being suggested as a bride for several marriages, Maria was soon proposed as a potential wife for King Louis XV of France. King Louis XV had fallen ill, and being unmarried with no heir, plans were made to arrange a marriage for him as quickly as possible. Although engaged to Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain, she was still a child and would be unable to provide an heir for quite some time. The engagement was ended, and the young Infanta was sent back to Spain. Meanwhile, Maria was just one of many potential brides and not near the top of the list. Initially removed from the list because of her lack of wealth, she was soon the preferred choice by all parties involved in the marriage discussions.

The marriage of King Louis XV and Maria Leszczyńska, source: Wikipedia

The couple was married by proxy on August 15, 1725, at the Cathedral of Strasbourg, at which point she took the French version of her name, Marie. Marie and Louis, who met the night before their wedding, were married in person in the chapel at the Château de Fontainebleau on September 5, 1725.

Marie and Louise had ten children:

Queen Marie with her son, the Dauphin, painted by Alexis Simon Belle, c1730. source: Wikipedia

The marriage of Marie and Louis XV was a success, and the two were very happy and in love. However, after nearly dying during the birth of her last child in 1737, Marie refused her husband’s romantic advances and their relationship quickly fell apart. By that time, King Louis had taken several mistresses, including the famed Madame de Pompadour. These women were often given positions in Queen Marie’s court against her wishes, causing Marie great distress. Only one, Madame de Pompadour, showed Marie the slightest bit of respect, and Marie was able to maintain a friendly relationship with her.

As Queen, Marie maintained the strict protocol and etiquette of the French court and fully embraced her role and responsibilities of her ceremonial role. However, when not at official functions, she preferred to retreat to her private apartments, spending time with a small group of close friends and confidants. She only once made a foray into politics, and that proved disastrous. Shortly after her marriage, Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon enlisted the new Queen to participate in a plot to banish Cardinal de Fleury from the King’s court. When it failed, it caused a temporary rift with her husband. From that point forward, she resolved to avoid all politics.

A great lover of the arts, she supported several prominent artists and musicians and arranged for weekly Polish choral concerts to be held at the Palace of Versailles. She was also an avid gambler and often found herself in debt.

The tomb of Queen Marie in the Basilica of St. Denis. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie died at the Palace of Versailles on June 24, 1768. She was buried at the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, while her heart was entombed at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours in Nancy. Having held her position for nearly 43 years, Queen Marie was the longest-serving Queen consort in the French monarchy.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Louis XV of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Louis XV of France by Hyacinthe Rigaud. source: Wikipedia

Louis XV reigned as King of France from 1715 until 1774, succeeding his great-grandfather, King Louis XIV. He was born on February 15, 1710, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France, the third son of Prince Louis, Duke of Burgundy, and Princess Marie Adélaïde of Savoy. At birth, he was created Duke of Anjou. Louis had two older brothers, both also named Louis:

Louis had two older brothers, both also named Louis:

  • Louis, Duke of Brittany (1704 – 1705), died from convulsions
  • Louis, Duke of Brittany (1707 – 1712), died from measles

Shortly after his birth, his grandfather died suddenly, and his father became the direct heir to the throne. The following year, in February 1712, Louis’s mother died of measles. Within days Louis’s father also succumbed to the illness, and both Louis and his surviving brother were also infected. On February 8, 1712, his elder brother died, and Louis became the Dauphin – heir to the throne.

Three years later, on September 1, 1715, King Louis XIV died, and the young Louis took the throne as King Louis XV. His great-grandfather had stipulated in his will that a Regency Council be established until Louis reached his majority. The Regency Council was led by King Louis XIV’s nephew, Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and included several of the late King’s legitimized sons.

Louis was raised by a governess, Madame de Ventadour, splitting his time between the Château of Vincennes, and the Tuileries Palace. His education was overseen by the Duke of Maine, one of his great-grandfather’s legitimized sons. Louis was placed in the care of François de Villeroy, an old friend of King Louis XIV, and was tutored by André-Hercule de Fleury (later Cardinal de Fleury). An avid student, the young King developed a wide variety of interests, particularly in science.

King Louis XV and Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain, painted by Alexis Simon Belle. source: Wikipedia

In 1721, Louis was betrothed to his first cousin, Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain, who was just 3-years-old at the time. She was the daughter of Louis’s uncle, King Felipe V of Spain, and Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. However, Louis showed little interest in his young cousin or the prospect of marrying her. The marriage was later called off, and the young Spanish Infanta returned to Spain. She would later become Queen of Portugal as the wife of King José I.

King Louis XV in his coronation robes, by Hyacinthe Rigaud. source: Wikipedia

In 1722, Louis returned the court to the Palace of Versailles where it would remain through his reign. In October of that year, he was crowned at Reims Cathedral. Following his majority in February 1723, Louis retained the Duke of Orléans as his first minister, and upon his death, appointed his cousin Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon. Bourbon, concerned that the King was not in the best health, and fearing that the House of Orléans would try and take the throne should the King die, began searching for an appropriate bride for the King – preferably one who was old enough to bear children.

Maria Leszczyńska as Queen of France, painted by Carle van Loo. source: Wikipedia

Before long, the search was narrowed and a bride was selected. Maria Leszczyńska was the daughter of the deposed King Stanisław I of Poland. Although poor and considered rather plain-looking, Maria was determined to be the best choice, primarily because of her lack of alliance with any of the people involved in finding the King a wife. And the fact that she was Catholic and old enough to bear children immediately made the decision final. The couple was engaged on April 2, 1725, and married by proxy at the Cathedral of Strasbourg on August 15. Several weeks later, the couple’s wedding took place at the Château de Fontainebleau on September 5, 1725, having only met in person for the first time the night before. Initially a love match, the couple enjoyed a happy marriage for several years, and had ten children:

Madame de Pompadour, painted by Maurice de La Tour. source: Wikipedia

Louis soon began to take mistresses – beginning with Diane Adélaïde de Mailly, the first of four de Mailly sisters who would enjoy the King’s affections. Then, in February 1745, the King met Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson at a ball given in honor of the marriage of the Dauphin. Poisson, who would later become Marquise de Pompadour, was perhaps the King’s most famous mistress. Within weeks of meeting, she became the King’s chief mistress and was given apartments at the Palace of Versailles.  The King created her Marquise de Pompadour, as she could not be presented at court without holding a title.  Until her death, she remained one of the King’s closest friends and confidantes and had significant power within the court.  Of all of the King’s mistresses, Madame de Pompadour was the only one who maintained a respectful relationship with the Queen, to whom she later served as a lady-in-waiting.  Despite ending their romantic relationship in the early 1750s, she and the King remained devotedly close until she died in 1764.

Madame du Barry, painted by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. source: Wikipedia

The King’s last chief mistress was Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry, who first met the King in 1768.  After being formally presented at court in 1769, Madame du Barry remained with the King until his death.  Her extravagance would later help contribute to the downfall of the French monarchy.  King Louis was infatuated with his much younger lover, and lavished her with gifts, including many priceless jewels.  In 1772, he commissioned a jeweler to create a diamond necklace that would be grander than any other.  Although the King died before the necklace was finished, it would later become the focus of a huge scandal in which Queen Marie Antoinette would be falsely accused.  See Wikipedia: The Affair of the Diamond Necklace.

King Louis XV, painted by Louis-Michel van Loo. source: Wikipedia

Just a few years after taking the throne, with economic and social discord in France caused by the Duke of Bourbon’s policies, the King dismissed him in 1726 and replaced him with Cardinal Fleury. Fleury’s leadership brought about perhaps the most prosperous years of the King’s reign. With the support of the King, Fleury stabilized and greatly expanded the French economy. Highways were built connecting the most remote parts of the country, and trade was greatly increased throughout the world. Peace was sought with England and Spain, aided greatly by the birth of a male heir in 1729 eliminating any succession crisis.

However, the King often deviated from Fleury’s policies. He intervened in the War of the Polish Succession, hoping to help restore his father-in-law to the Polish throne and to try and gain control of the Duchy of Lorraine. While he was unsuccessful in helping his father-in-law, he was able to take Lorraine. Under the terms of the Treaty of Vienna in 1738, the duchy was granted to the former King Stanisław, with the condition that it would eventually pass to King Louis.

King Louis XV’s reign saw France’s entry into The War of the Austrian Succession in 1740, with France gaining significant territory.  However, at the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, Louis returned the lands to their rightful owners.  For this, he was greatly praised throughout Europe but became very unpopular within his own country.  A few years later, the King would find France at war with Great Britain in the French and Indian War and soon pulled into the Seven Years’ War.

The King was a victim of an assassination attempt in 1757.  While walking to his carriage in the Marble Courtyard at the Palace of Versailles, Robert-François Damiens stabbed the king with a small knife.  Fortunately, it was a relatively minor wound and the King survived.

King Louis XV died of smallpox at the Palace of Versailles on May 10, 1774, and was buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris. He was succeeded by his grandson, King Louis XVI.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Hanover, Duchess of Cumberland

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Hanover, Duchess of Cumberland; Credit – Wikipedia

Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the wife of her first cousin King Ernst August I of Hanover. Through her two previous marriages, she was also a Princess of Prussia and a Princess of Solms-Braunfels. She was born on March 3, 1778, at the Altes Palais in Hanover,  Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, where her father – the future Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – was serving as Governor of Hanover for his brother-in-law, King George III of the United Kingdom who was also the Elector of Hanover. Her mother was Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Friederike was christened on March 15, 1778, and given the names Friederike Caroline Sophie Alexandrine. She had nine siblings:

Friederike’s mother died in May 1782, just days after giving birth to her last child. The family left the Altes Palais and moved to Schloss Herrenhausen, also in Hanover, Friederike and her siblings were raised by a governess Frau von Wolzogen. In 1784, her father married again to Princess Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, his first wife’s younger sister. From this marriage, Friederike had one additional half-sibling:

In 1785, Friederike lost three of the people closest to her. In September, her elder sister, Charlotte married the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and moved away, taking Frau von Wolzogen with her. In December, her stepmother (and aunt) died a few weeks after giving birth to her only child. Her father gave up his position in Hanover and the family moved to Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in the German state of Hesse, where the children were raised by their maternal grandmother Princess Maria Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt.  Friederike’s grandmother took charge of their education, ensuring that her grandchildren learned French and received a strong religious education. She also ensured that they traveled extensively to other royal courts, and they attended the coronations of the Holy Roman Emperors Leopold II in 1790 and Franz II in 1792.

painted by Johann Friedrich August Tischbein. source: Wikipedia

Having left Darmstadt in 1792 to avoid the advancing French army, Friederike and her sister Luise returned to Darmstadt in March 1793. On the way back, they received an invitation to visit their mother’s cousin, the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, in Frankfurt, so that he could introduce them to King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, and more specifically, to his two sons. The sisters attended the theater in Frankfurt and were presented to the King, who found them quite charming. The following day, they were introduced to the King’s sons, Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and Prince Ludwig. Relationships quickly developed, and just a month later, on April 24, 1793, the official engagements were announced. Luise was to marry the Crown Prince, while Friederike would marry Prince Ludwig. Always very close, Friederike and Luise were overjoyed that they would remain near to each other after their marriages.

Prince Ludwig of Prussia, painted by Edward Francis Cunningham. source: Wikipedia

After making their grand entrance into Berlin, the two marriages took place at the City Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. Friederike and Ludwig were married on December 26, 1793, just two days after her sister’s marriage. They took up residence at a townhouse in Berlin – just opposite the Crown Prince’s Palace – and had three children:

By Johann Gottfried Schadow – Till Niermann, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4359214

In 1795, sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow began work on a statue of Friederike and her sister Luise. The statue, known as the Prinzessinnengruppe, is displayed in the Friedrichswerder Church in Berlin.

The marriage between Friederike and Ludwig was not very happy, with both of them allegedly having affairs. Rumors spread that Friederike was having an affair with her husband’s cousin, Prince Ludwig Ferdinand. And the marriage was not to be long-lasting. Prince Ludwig died of diphtheria on December 28, 1796, just two days after their third wedding anniversary. Just 18 years old, and widowed with three small children, Friederike was given an income and a residence, Schönhausen Palace, by her father-in-law.

Two years later, In 1798, Friederike accepted a marriageproposal from Prince Adolphus of the United Kingdom, Duke of Cambridge, her first cousin. He was the seventh son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Friederike’s maternal aunt. However, King George III refused to consent to the marriage until the end of the war with the French revolutionaries. The couple continued their correspondence, both hoping that the war would soon end and they could marry.

However, Friederike was not very lonely. Despite her unofficial engagement to Adolphus, she soon found herself pregnant with the child of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels. He was the son of Ferdinand, 2nd Prince of Solms-Braunfels and Countess Sophie of Solms-Laubach. Friederike and Friedrich were quietly married in Berlin on December 10, 1798. The scandal caused a rift with her sister Luise, and enraged her aunt – and intended mother-in-law – Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. Friederike and Friedrich left the court in Berlin and moved to Ansbach, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Bavaria, where their first child was born two months later. Together they had six children:

  • Princess Caroline of Solms-Braunfels (born and died 1799)
  • Prince Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels (1801–1868), married Countess Maria Anna Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, had nine children
  • Princess Sophie of Solms-Braunfels (born and died 1803)
  • Princess Auguste Luise of Solms-Braunfels (1804–1865), married Prince Albert of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had four children
  • Prince Friedrich of Solms-Braunfels (1807–1867), married Baroness Louise of Landsberg-Velen, had one child
  • Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels (1812–1875), married (1) morganatically Louise Beyrich, had three children  (2) Princess Sophie of Loewenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, had five children

Within a few years of the marriage, the couple had drifted very far apart. Friedrich resigned from his military posts, and Friederike had to support their family with her own resources. The marriage was so broken that her brother-in-law, the reigning Prince of Solms-Braunfels, advised Friederike, and gave his blessing, to divorce her husband. However, the couple remained married.

Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, painting by George Dawe, c1828. source: Wikipedia

It was in 1813 that Friederike met the man who would become her third husband, Prince Ernest Augustus of the United Kingdom, Duke of Cumberland. Another first cousin, he was also the son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Friederike’s aunt Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Finding herself in love with her British cousin, Friederike asked for, and received, permission from the Prussian king to divorce her husband. Before proceedings could move forward, Prince Friedrich died suddenly on April 13, 1814. Many believed that Friederike had poisoned her husband, to avoid the public scandal of a divorce.

The Duke of Cumberland proposed, and Friederike accepted on the condition that her aunt, Queen Charlotte, gave her approval. The Queen did consent to the marriage, and the couple married on May 29, 1815, at the parish church in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

After the wedding, her husband returned to London to try – unsuccessfully – to get an increase in his appanage from the British Parliament. Despite being turned down, he returned to Germany and brought Friederike back to London, where they were married in a Church of England ceremony at Carlton House on August 29, 1815. One very notable absentee at the wedding was Queen Charlotte. Despite having given her consent the previous year, the Queen issued a statement explaining why she should not receive her new daughter-in-law. She stated that she had received “information from many respectable quarters which induced her to accept the painful resolution upon which she has since acted”, and that her feelings toward the marriage had been “conveyed to her son, The Prince Regent, not only long before the marriage of the Duke of Cumberland was solemnized in Germany, but also before the formal sanction of the Crown was given.”

Despite this, the couple settled in London, taking up residence at St. James’s Palace, as well as a home in Kew. After several years, with the Duke still unable to get an increase in his appanage, the couple returned to Prussia, living primarily in Berlin. After two stillborn daughters, the couple had one son:

Following their son’s birth, the British Parliament finally increased the Duke’s allowance, to provide him with a suitable education. The family spent the next ten years living in Germany, not returning to Britain until August 1829.

By then, Queen Charlotte had died, and Friederike’s brother-in-law was on the throne as King George IV. For the first time, she was welcomed as a full member of the British Royal Family and returned to her homes at St. James’s Palace and Kew. The following year, upon the death of King George IV and the accession of King William IV, her husband became the heir-presumptive to the throne of Hanover, and second in line to the British throne. After an accident left their son blind, in October 1833 Friederike and her husband took their son to Germany to meet with doctors, hoping to be able to restore their son’s sight. She was still in Germany when King William IV died on June 20, 1837. He was succeeded by his niece Victoria, as Queen of the United Kingdom. But because Hanover did not allow for female succession, Friederike’s husband succeeded him as King Ernst August I of Hanover, and Friederike became Queen.

Sadly, Friederike was only Queen of Hanover for a little less than three years. In April 1841, she fell ill, and after several months, passed away at the Altes Palais in Hanover on June 29, 1841. Following her funeral, the Queen’s remains were placed in the vault of the Royal Chapel. After her husband’s death 10 years later, both of their coffins were placed in a mausoleum on the grounds of Schloss Herrenhausen, now Herrenhausen Gardens).

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Unofficial Royalty Kingdom of Hanover Resources