To round out our Meet the Bonapartes series, we turn to Napoleon’s eldest – and apparently coolest – brother, Joseph. Affable, charming, and comfortable in his own skin, he was a contrast to most of his siblings, including Napoleon. His easygoing nature made him popular even with political opponents, and Joseph was an important player…
Tag: House of Bonaparte
69. Meet the Bonapartes: Elisa Bonaparte, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
Napoleon’s eldest sister shared many of his more imperious personal qualities, but would prove to be surprisingly gifted at governance after her brother named her Princess of the Italian principalities of Piombino and Lucca. More territories would be added to the holdings she governed, eventually including the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, with Florence as its…
68. Meet the Bonapartes: Lucien Bonaparte, Head and Shoulders Above the Rest
It never hurts to have a hype man, and Napoleon’s younger brother Lucien just happened to be a talented writer and orator. One could even say he was his brother’s propagandist and co-conspirator in a ballot stuffing operation that led to Napoleon’s initial domination of the government of France. But Lucien, who was also the…
67. Meet the Bonapartes: Louis Bonaparte and Hortense de Beauharnais
/ Napoleon’s meddling in his siblings’ lives was the source of considerable angst for several of them. Napoleon had high expectations for his younger brother Louis, but Louis chafed at his brother’s authority. Still, he ultimately agreed to marry Napoleon’s step-daughter with Josephine, Hortense de Beauharnais, a marriage that would become notable most for the…
66. Meet the Bonapartes: Caroline Bonaparte Murat, Queen of Naples
If Pauline was Napoleon’s most loyal sister, Caroline was undoubtedly his most scheming. As a child, she took orders from her big brother, but as he rose from celebrated military commander to Emperor, she made sure he never forgot to improve her fortunes, as well. After she married one of Napoleon’s military advisors – a…
65. Meet the Bonapartes: Pauline Bonaparte
It’s probably no surprise that in a family with as much internal intrigue as the Bonapartes had, Napoleon had a favorite among his three sisters. Pauline Bonaparte was eleven years younger than her brother, but was similarly ambitious and was generally happy to take part in his plans for himself and her. A natural beauty…
63. Meet the Bonapartes: Napoleon and Marie Louise of Austria
When it came time for Napoleon to find a successor to Josephine as his wife, pickings were slimmer than you might expect. Russia’s Alexander I wouldn’t entertain the idea of a marriage between the French emperor and Alex’s youngest sister, Anna Pavlovna. Austria, which had spent years battling – and losing to – France, became…
62. Meet The Bonapartes: Napoleon and Josephine
Part of the joy of history is how resonant it often is. Imagine an ambitious if dysfunctional family with some minor claim to nobility in some far off backwater rising to power – to the highest office in the land – on the strength of a charismatic son known as much for his professional acumen…