Caroline Bonaparte

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caroline Murat and daughter in 1807. Painting by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun
Caroline Murat and daughter in 1807. Painting by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun

Maria Annunziata Carolina (Marie Annonciade Caroline) Murat (née Bonaparte), Princesse Française, Grand Duchess Consort of Berg and Cleves, Queen Consort of Naples and Sicily, Princess Consort Murat, Comtesse de Lipona [1] (Ajaccio, Corsica, 25 March 1782 – 18 May 1839 in Florence), better known as Caroline Bonaparte, was the seventh surviving child and third surviving daughter of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino.

Contents

[edit] Early Years

Caroline was born in Ajaccio, Corsica on 25 March 1782. She was a younger sister of Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon I of France, Lucien Bonaparte, Elisa Bonaparte, Louis Bonaparte and Pauline Bonaparte. She was an older sister of Jérôme Bonaparte.

In 1793, Caroline moved with her family to France during the French Revolution. There she fell in love with Joachim Murat, one of her brother's generals, and they married on January 20, 1800. At first Napoleon did not allow them to marry but then his wife Josephine persuaded him to change his mind. Caroline went to the school in St. Germaine founded by Madame Jeanne Campan. She attended the school at the same time as Hortense, Josephine's daughter and Caroline's brother Louis' wife.

[edit] Children

They were parents of four children:

[edit] Queen of Naples

Ambitious, extravagant, and power-hungry, she became Grand Duchess of Berg and Cleves on March 15, 1806. She became Queen consort of Naples on August 1, 1808. She was intensely jealous of her sister-in-law Joséphine and her children, as she felt Napoleon favoured them over his Bonaparte relatives. Caroline continuously plotted against Joséphine. It was Caroline who arranged for Napoleon to take a mistress, Eléonore Denuelle, who duly gave birth to his first illegitimate child.[2]. This had the desired effect which proved that Joséphine was infertile as Napoleon showed he was clearly capable of siring children.

When Napoleon married Marie-Louise, Caroline was responsible for escorting her to France. After meeting her at the border of Austria and her duchy, Caroline forced Marie-Louise to leave all her luggage, servants, and even her pet dog, behind in Austria.

The birth of Napoléon II to her namesake brother and his second Empress Consort Marie Louise of Austria, destroyed any hope of her son Napoléon Achille Murat succeeding to her brother. So she allied with Napoléon's rival, Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. When he failed in his attempt to secure the throne for Murat, the latter was executed and Caroline fled to the Austrian Empire. She died in Florence. One of her direct descendants is American actor Rene Auberjonois.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ An anagram for Napoli (Naples).
  2. ^ Frances Mossiker "Napoleon and Joséphine, pgs282-84.
Preceded by
Julie Clary		 Queen Consort of Naples
1 August 1808-3 May 1815		 Succeeded by
Lucia Migliaccio of Floridia (Royal consort)