Coming from a Corsican background, he did not approve of the way that women took part in political life, in Paris, and the way they often led separate lives to their husbands...As a young man he had been a intrigued by the manners of the Parisian elite but later, Napoleon had put an end to the easy divorce laws of the Republic. His Napoleonic Legal code centred on preserving family life, and women had few rights under it.
However, 2 of his 3 sisters were very much involved
in politics and were more intelligent and active than their husbands, in ruling
their kingdoms. And all three took
lovers. Pauline, his favourite sister,
was notoriously promiscuous, and she was not interested in politics.
Her life was centred on nursing her “ill health”, taking an interest in the arts and in finding lovers.
Her life was centred on nursing her “ill health”, taking an interest in the arts and in finding lovers.
Napoleon was fond of Hortense and may have over
looked her affair with De Flahaut, as she had generally been a loyal wife to Louis
and he knew that Lous was a difficult and neurotic man and almost impossible to
be married to. However, Hortense knew she would have to
cover up the fact that she had had an illegitimate baby, and could not rear the
child herself.
Afterwards, her affair with De Flahaut fizzled out
and he later married an English heiress.
She may have had other romances but it is not clear. She was devoted to her sons and in the last
year or two of Napoleon’s empire; she was in dispute with Louis about them. She was close to her mother and spent time with
her… but also managed to get on quite well with Marie Louise. She took little interest in politics but when
the Empire fell, she remained loyal to her step-father. However Josephine, who was divorced form
Napoleon and as such not banned from France, was willing to use her looks and charm to
entertain the foreign conquerors, including the Czar Alexander of Russia. He grew fond of her and acted as a protector
to her and Hortense.
She accepted this protection as she was trying to
keep her children and because as a Bonaparte she would have been persona non
grata in France. But Josephine died soon
after Napoleon’s fall. Hortense and Eugene
were with her and were deeply grieved.
Hortense stayed in Paris to welcome her step father back when he escaped
from Elba. She was there to help him when he lost at Waterloo, and surrendered
to the British…
Her life after Napoleon had gone to St Helena was
mainly devoted to her sons. She had to
live in exile...since her actions in supporting her step father on his return
to France had allied her with the Bonaparte cause , and the French authorities would
not permit her to live in France.
She remained officially married to Louis, and shared in decisions about the education of their 2 sons. She was allowed to live in Switzerland, and had a small household…
She remained officially married to Louis, and shared in decisions about the education of their 2 sons. She was allowed to live in Switzerland, and had a small household…
She continued to enjoy taking an interest in the arts... and some of her music became famous, including
the song “Partant pour La Syrie”. She
had many friends and although she missed her French life, she was busy and
fulfilled…
Her sons were partly educated in Italy and became
ardent supporters of Italian independence... and were involved in the various revolutionary
societies and uprisings that sprang up in the 1820s and 30s. Hortense encouraged her sons to marry;
Napoleon Louis married his cousin Charlotte, the daughter of Joseph
Bonaparte. Louis Napoleon travelled to England
and America…but Napoleon Louis died of measles leaving no children of his marriage.
Hortense’s health declined and she died in 1837, in
her 50s. She had managed to lead a
comfortable life, after the fall of the Empire, and to bring up her sons to
carry on the Bonaparte name and legend... And eventually her third son would
become the Emperor of France…
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