Mariya Luisa Second wife of NAPOLEON I, daughter of the Austrian Emperor FRANZ I Date of Birth: 12.12.1791 Country: Austria

1. Biography of Maria Louisa
2. Marriage to Napoleon I
3. Life after Napoleon's Abdication
4. Later Relationships and Rule in Parma

Biography of Maria Louisa

Maria Louisa was the second wife of Napoleon I, the Emperor of France from 1810 to 1814. She was born as the daughter of Franz II, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who later became the Emperor of Austria as Franz I in 1806. She was also the grandniece of Marie Antoinette.

Marriage to Napoleon I

After Napoleon divorced Josephine Beauharnais following the war of 1809, he chose Maria Louisa to be his new wife. They were married on April 1, 1810, in Paris. However, the celebration of their wedding was marred by a terrible fire that broke out during a ball hosted by the Austrian ambassador Schwarzenberg.

During their marriage, Maria Louisa gave birth to a son named Napoleon in 1811, who was given the title of King of Rome by his father. She accompanied Napoleon to Dresden in 1812 for a congress of monarchs while he was at war in Russia. In his absence, she acted as regent in Paris and continued to do so until 1814.

Life after Napoleon's Abdication

Following the capture of Paris in 1814, Maria Louisa and her son relocated to Blois. After Napoleon's abdication, they lived in Schönbrunn. According to historian André Castelot, in his book "Napoleon's Son," Maria Louisa gradually paid less attention to her son's upbringing as she started seeing him as a reminder of his father. Eventually, she distanced herself from him and only communicated through rare letters from Parma to Vienna.

Later Relationships and Rule in Parma

Maria Louisa appointed the Austrian General Count Adam Albert von Neipperg as her Oberhofmarschall, who had already become her favorite before Napoleon's death. She gave birth to a daughter from Neipperg in 1817 and a son in 1819, both of whom were kept a secret for a long time, even from her father, the Emperor of Austria.

After Napoleon's death in 1821, Maria Louisa was finally able to marry Neipperg in a morganatic marriage on August 8, 1821. In 1816, she took control of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla, which were given to her with the title of Imperial Majesty in a treaty at Fontainebleau. She established her own court and had numerous favorites.

After Neipperg's death in 1829, Maria Louisa entered another morganatic marriage with Count Karl-René de Bombelles on February 17, 1834. During her rule in Parma, she initiated the construction of bridges, hospitals, schools, and most notably, a theater that the city's residents still take pride in. Maria Louisa remained the beloved ruler of the small duchy until her death.