Desiree Clary Part II

Desiree then moved to Rome, with her sister Julie and Julie’s husband Joseph Bonaparte.  In 1797, she got engaged to Leonard Duphot, a French soldier, also from Lyons, but he was killed. 

 She returned to France and received another proposal from General Junot, one of Napoleon’s friends.  The Bonaparte family  had liked her, and disliked Josephine… She did not like her ex fiancé’s new wife, but was polite to her… unlike some of the Bonapartes. Then in 1798, she married Jean Charles Bernadotte, another French soldier and one of the Bonaparte circle.  In 1799, she gave birth to their only child, a son called Oscar.  The name was suggested by Napoleon, because he liked the Ossianic poetry of McPherson, and Oscar was the name of Ossian’s son…

Napoleon retained some affection for her, but at times used her to keep an eye on Bernadotte, whom he suspected of being overly ambitious.

Desiree was a simple not very clever woman who enjoyed private life and was not interested in politics or high society.  However, her marriage to one of the Napoleonic marshals meant that she had to engage in social activities when she would have preferred to spend her time with her own family….

Bernadotte’s ambitious nature meant that he took up military and political postings which kept him away from Paris and his wife.

 In 1810 however, Bernadotte was offered the chance to become heir to the throne of Sweden. He was eager to take this up but Desiree did not want to live away from Paris.  In later years, she had to move to Sweden, as Crown Princess and later as queen.....