Birth of Marie-Louise of Austria, second wife of Napoleon
Marie-Louise de Habsburg-Lorraine was born on 12th December 1791, in Vienna.
Her parents were Francis II, who succeeded his father, Leopold II, as Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Naples.
Her parents were both related to Marie-Antoinette, and as such Marie-Louise was her great-niece.
Marie-Louise had a happy upbringing, despite the difficulties imposed upon her, after her family’s exile in 1805.
With this experience Marie-Louise developed a distinct aversion to France.
In 1809, Marie-Louise, then aged eighteen, learned of rumours circulating that Napoleon I, having just divorced Empress Josephine, was looking for a new bride.
Napoleon had recently defeated Austria again, so the idea that Marie-Louise could be the next Empress of the French, was abhorrent to her.
Her father agreed to the match, and resigned to her fate, Marie-Louise unhappily accepted the decision.
Upon arriving in France she was placed in the custody of Napoleon’s sister, who had her put through a symbolic old ritual.
Tradition dictated that a royal bride coming to France must keep nothing of her homeland, especially her clothes.
Marie-Louise was stripped of her dress, corset, stockings, and chemise, leaving her completely naked.
Napoleon’s sister then made the nude Marie take a bath.
She was then re-dressed in French bridal clothes.
Marie-Louise met Napoleon for the first time on 27th March, remarking to him:
“You are much better-looking than your portrait.”
The civil wedding was held at the Saint James Church on 1st April 1810.
Elaborate celebrations continued to be held throughout May and June.
These included a ball, a masque, a sea-battle on the Seine, and a display of fireworks, for 4,000 people.
With her marriage to Napoleon I, Marie-Louise became Empress, which she would remain for four years.
Napoleon did not have to wait long for an heir, on 20th March 1811, after a long and difficult labour, Marie-Louise gave birth to a son.
Marie-Louise’s life was governed by ceremony and etiquette.
Josephine’s chambers in every one of the imperial palaces were refurbished for Marie-Louise.
However, strict protocol imprisoned the young empress in a golden cage.
She fulfilled her role with diligence and dignity.
In 1813, Napoleon set out for his campaign in Germany, Marie-Louise was left in France as regent, albeit with limited political power.
Napoleon returned when the capital was threatened, but left again on 25th January 1814 – never to see his wife and son again.
On 28th March, the enemy was at the city’s gates and Napoleon insisted that Marie-Louise leave with her son for the Loire valley.
In her letters to Napoleon, she pleaded with him to be allowed to accompany him in exile, to the island of Elba.
Instead he sent her to Austria, back to her father’s court.
Marie-Louise abandoned all thought of returning to her husband, even after his triumphant return in 1815.
France’s defeat at Waterloo finally convinced the young empress, that her fate lay faraway from France.
In the summer of 1814, Emperor Francis sent Count Adam Albert von Neipperg to accompany Marie- Louise to the spa town of Aix-les-Bains.
Neipperg was an enemy of Napoleon, and Marie- Louise fell in love with him.
When they became lovers, news of the relationship was not received well by the French and the Austrian public.
Napoleon died on 5th May 1821, leaving Marie-Louise a widow, and free to marry.
On 8th August 1821, Marie-Louise married the Comte de Neipperg.
She and Neipperg had three children together.
When Neipperg passed away in 1829, Marie-Louise was devastated, and couldn’t bear the prospect of solitude.
Marie-Louise was to face another tragedy, when Franz, her son with Napoleon, died from tuberculosis in 1832, aged 21.
On 17th February 1834, Marie-Louise married widower, Charles-René de Bombelles, a French émigré nobleman who had served in the Austrian army against Napoleon.
Marie-Louise fell ill on 9th December 1847.
Her condition worsened for the next few days.
On 17th December, she passed out after vomiting and never woke up again.
She died that evening, aged 56.
Her cause of death was determined to be pleurisy.
Marie-Louise was buried in Vienna, in the Kapuzinergruft, along with other Habsburg family members.