Pauline Bonaparte Part IV 1814-1825

Pauline was now over 30 and her brother’s empire was approaching its twilight years.  He now had a male heir, but he had over stretched himself.   He was still a military genus, but in invading Russia, he had gone a step too far.  His despotic rule over much of Europe had won him enemies, and in Spain, an Anglo Irish general, Arthur Wellesley, was beginning to defeat his marshals who were fighting there.   In France, his wars were much less popular than they had once been, because he was now calling up young boys, to feed his army’s need for soldiers.

Pauline took little interest in politics, except in terms of generally supporting her brother.  It was almost the only thing that she and Camillo agreed on…
Mostly  her lovers were  artists,  she seemed fond of musicians.   She was also said to have had an affair with the famous Parisian actor Talma.

Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow, and the defeats in Spain were the beginng of the end, and in 1814, he was forced to abdicate.    He fled south and met with his sister – who initially refused to kiss him because he was wearing a foreign uniform, being in fear of his life from the mob.   He had become so unpopular with the French people.  Pauline’s best qualities were brought out by her brother’s’ fall.  He had been generous to his family, albeit dictatorial...  However he had showered gifts and kingdoms on them, yet when the empire collapsed, most of them were mainly involved with saving their own skins.  Josephine and her 2 children were more loyal to him than his own siblings were…

Pauline and Letizia, his mother remained loyal and devoted.  They moved to Elba when he was allowed to live there as its sovereign... and tried to comfort him for the loss of his title and powers.  Letizia Bonaparte, his tough elderly mother, was not displeased by Elban exile.. It was an Island and she had never lost her affection for her native Corsica…

Napoleon hoped to have his Austrian wife come and visit him, with their son, but Marie Louise soon lost interest in the husband she had been forced to wed – she began an affair with an Austrian nobleman, Adam von Neipperg.  Napoleon relied on his Mother and sister for support and for a time busied himself with making various reforms in Elba.

Pauline saw her brother leave the island however in early 1815, for his attempt to win back his empire... but it ended in failure and disaster at Waterloo.   She had sold her Paris home, the Hotel de Charost, to the British government, and it was used by the Duke of Wellington during his time there.  She then moved back to Italy, and devoted much of her time to trying to make Napoleon’s exile to St Helena more bearable.  She settled in Rome, under the protection of the Pope, who was clearly fond of her.   Her Mother also settled in Rome, and since the Bonaparte clan was banned from living in France, many of them moved to Italy as well. 

Pauline’s husband Camillo, moved away, to distance himself from her and he began an affair with a cousin of his.  Pauline was still attractive but she was getting older and her health was worse.  She had a few affairs, but much of her interest in life was trying to help her brother.  She received many English visitors in her home, trying to use her charms to persuade the Whig aristocrats who were travelers in Italy, to make Napoleon’s life in St Helena more comfortable.  Many for them had sympathized with his cause and did not want him to be too harshly treated.
Her mother fell under the influence of a bogus mystic, who told her that Napoleon had escaped from St Helena and that the British were keeping this a secret.  As a result, when the old lady had a chance to send a doctor and a cook to the far away island, to help her son, she took no interest in whether the doctor was qualified…. because she believed he wasn’t actually there.  Pauline fell out with her mother over this issue, and was angry that her brother did not have a good doctor….

In 1821, Napoleon died, far from his family and France.  Pauline was broken hearted.  She had probably loved him more than anyone else in her life.  She was fond of some of her many nieces and nephews and spent time with them, since she had no children of her own.  Gradually, her health got worse….and she began to think about reconciliation with her husband.   The Pope persuaded Camillo to return to his wife, in her last months.   Camillo was reluctant but he saw the rightness of leaving his mistress to care for his wife and for her to die reconciled to him…

Their relationship was not unfriendly, and within 3 months Pauline died.  She left a reputation as a scandalous but beautiful and charming woman….