Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 2 April 1810
- Marie Louise was the great-granddaughter of the Hungarian-Croatian ruler Maria Theresa. She had met him only six days before the wedding.
The wedding of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian archduchess Marie Louise took place on this day in 1810. She was 18 years old at the time, and he was at the age of 40.
It is interesting that Marie Louise was the great-granddaughter of the Hungarian-Croatian ruler Maria Theresa. Indeed, the French queen Marie Antoinette, who was executed during the French Revolution, was the sister of Marie Louise`s grandfather (Emperor Leopold II).
Marie Louise had met Napoleon only six days before the wedding. The Church wedding was conducted on this day by Cardinal Joseph Fesch, Napoleon`s uncle (Napoleon`s mother Laetitia Bonaparte was the cardinal`s half-sister).
Marie Louise gave birth to their first child less than a year after the wedding. Napoleon gave him the title of King of Rome (French: roi de Rome).
Marie Louise was still young (she was only 22 years old) when Napoleon Bonaparte was ousted from the throne. She was married twice (her last husband was the Count of Bombelles). She outlived Napoleon by 26 years.
