View source for Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma

{{Short description|Duchess of Parma (r. 1814–1847); Empress of the French (1810–1814)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Marie Louise
| image        = Empress Marie Louise of the French.jpg
| caption      = Portrait by [[Jean-Baptiste Paulin Guérin]], {{circa|1812}}. She wears a [[Marie Louise Diadem|diamond and emerald crown]], a necklace, and earrings given as a wedding gift by Napoleon.
| succession   = [[Duke of Parma|Duchess of Parma, Piacenza]] and [[List of rulers of Guastalla|Guastalla]]
| reign        = 11 April 1814 &ndash; {{nowrap|17 December 1847}}
| pre-type     = Predecessors
| predecessor  = {{plainlist|
* [[Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès|Jean-Jacques-Régis]] (Parma)
* [[Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance|Charles-François]] (Piacenza)
* [[Pauline Bonaparte|Pauline]] (Guastalla)
}}
| suc-type     = Successors
| successor    = {{plainlist|
* [[Charles II, Duke of Parma|Charles II]] (Parma and Piacenza)
* [[Francis V, Duke of Modena|Francis V]] (Guastalla)
}}
| succession1  = [[Empress consort of the French]]<br>[[Queen consort of Italy]]
| reign-type1  = Tenure
| reign1       = 1 April 1810 &ndash; 6 April 1814
| birth_name   = Archduchess Maria Ludovica of Austria
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1791|12|12|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Hofburg]], Vienna, [[Archduchy of Austria]], [[Holy Roman Empire]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1847|12|17|1791|12|12|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Parma]], [[Duchy of Parma]]
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Imperial Crypt]]
| spouses      = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Napoleon I, Emperor of the French]]|11 March 1810|5 May 1821|end=died}}
* {{marriage|[[Count Adam Albert von Neipperg]]|8 August 1821|22 February 1829|end=died}}
* {{marriage|[[Charles-René de Bombelles]]|17 February 1834}}
}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
* [[Napoleon II, Emperor of the French]]
* Countess Albertine von Neipperg
* [[William Albert, 1st Prince of Montenuovo]]
* Countess Mathilde von Neipperg
}}
| full name    = {{langx|de|Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Theresia Josepha Lucia}}<br/>{{langx|fr|Marie Louise Léopoldine Françoise Thérèse Josèphe Lucie}}<br/>{{langx|it|Maria Luigia Leopoldina Francesca Teresa Giuseppa Lucia}}
| house        = [[Habsburg-Lorraine]]
| father       = [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor]]
| mother       = [[Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily]]
| religion     = [[Roman Catholicism]]
| signature    = Signatur Marie-Louise von Österreich.PNG
}}

'''Marie Louise''' (Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Theresia Josepha Lucia; 12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was [[Duke of Parma|Duchess of Parma]] from 11 April 1814 until her death in 1847. She was [[Napoleon]]'s second wife and as such [[Empress of the French]] and [[Queen consort of Italy|Queen of Italy]] from their marriage on 2 April 1810 until his abdication on 6 April 1814.

As the eldest child of [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor]] and [[Emperor of Austria]], and his second wife, [[Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily]], Marie Louise grew up during a period marked by ongoing and unceasing conflict between [[Austrian Empire|Austria]] and [[revolutionary France]]. A series of military defeats at the hands of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] had inflicted a heavy human toll on Austria and led Francis to [[Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire|dissolve]] the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The end of the [[War of the Fifth Coalition]] resulted in the marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise in 1810, which ushered in a brief period of peace and friendship between Austria and the [[First French Empire|French Empire]], much like prior alliances between the Austrian and French Royal family. Marie Louise agreed to the marriage despite being raised to despise France. She bore Napoleon a son, styled the King of Rome at birth, who briefly succeeded him as [[Napoleon II]]. Marie Louise's son was later titled Duke of Reichstadt.

Napoleon's fortunes changed dramatically in 1812 after his failed [[French invasion of Russia|invasion of Russia]]. The European powers, including Austria, resumed hostilities towards France in the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]], which ended with the abdication of Napoleon and his exile to [[Elba]]. The [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814)|1814 Treaty of Fontainebleau]] gave the Duchies of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla to Marie Louise, who ruled the duchies until her death.

Marie Louise married [[morganatically]] twice after Napoleon's death in 1821. Her second husband was Count [[Adam Albert von Neipperg]] (married 1821), an [[equerry]] she met in 1814. She and Neipperg had three children: Albertine, [[William Albert, 1st Prince of Montenuovo|William Albert]], and Mathilde. Neipperg died in 1829. Marie Louise married Count [[Charles-René de Bombelles]], her chamberlain, in 1834. She died in Parma in 1847.

==Early life==
Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria (who was given the Latin baptismal name of ''Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Francisca Theresa Josepha Lucia'') was born at the [[Hofburg|Hofburg Palace]] in [[Vienna]] on 12 December 1791 to [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Archduke Francis of Austria]] and his second wife, [[Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily]].<ref name="dsa1">de Saint-Amand, p. 1</ref> She was named after her grandmother, [[Maria Luisa of Spain|Marie Louise, Holy Roman Empress]]. Her father became [[Holy Roman Emperor]] a year later as Francis II. Marie Louise was a great-granddaughter of [[Maria Theresa|Empress Maria Theresa]] through both her parents, as they were double first cousins. She was also a maternal granddaughter of [[Queen Maria Carolina of Naples]],<ref name="dsa1"/> [[Marie Antoinette]]'s favorite sister. She was known as ''Luisel'' to her family.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Castelot |first=André |title=Marie-Louise: Impératrice malgré elle |publisher=Perrin |year=1998 |isbn=9782262014612 |language=fr}}</ref>

Marie Louise's formative years were during a period of conflict between France and her family. She was brought up to detest France and French ideas.<ref name="dsa2">de Saint-Amand, p. 2</ref> Her upbringing was supervised by her French imperial governess [[Victoire de Folliot de Crenneville]].<ref>Cuthell, Edith E: ''[https://archive.org/details/imperialvictimma01cuthuoft  Vol 1: An imperial victim : Marie Louise, Archduchess of Austria, Empress of the French, Duchess of Parma]'', 1911</ref> Marie Louise was influenced by her grandmother Maria Carolina, who despised the [[French Revolution]] which ultimately caused the death of her sister, Marie Antoinette.<ref name="dsa2"/> Maria Carolina's [[Kingdom of Naples]] had also come into direct conflict with French forces led by [[Napoleon|Napoleon Bonaparte]].<ref name="dsa2"/> The [[War of the Third Coalition]] brought Austria to the brink of ruin, which increased Marie Louise's resentment towards Napoleon.<ref name="dsa3">de Saint-Amand, p. 3</ref> The Imperial family was forced to flee Vienna in 1805. Marie Louise took refuge in [[Hungary]] and later [[Galicia (Eastern Europe)|Galicia]]<ref name="dsa3"/> before returning to Vienna in 1806.<ref name="dsa4">de Saint-Amand, p. 4</ref> Her father relinquished the title of Holy Roman Emperor but remained [[Emperor of Austria]].

To make her more marriageable, her parents had her tutored in many languages. In addition to her native [[German language|German]], she became fluent in [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Latin language|Latin]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref>Schom, Alan. ''Napoleon Bonaparte''. p. 548</ref> To maintain her purity, her parents allowed for little to no contact with men, and even all her animals, including a pet rabbit, were required to be female.<ref name=":0" />

In 1807, when Marie Louise was 15, her mother died after suffering a miscarriage.<ref name="dsa4"/> Less than a year later, Emperor Francis married his first cousin [[Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este|Maria Ludovika Beatrix of Austria-Este]], who was four years older than Marie Louise.<ref name="dsa4"/> Nonetheless, Maria Ludovika Beatrix took on a maternal role towards her stepdaughter.<ref name="dsa5">de Saint-Amand, p. 5</ref> She was also bitter towards the French, who had deprived her father of the [[Duchy of Modena and Reggio|Duchy of Modena]].<ref name="dsa6">de Saint-Amand, p. 6</ref>

Another [[War of the Fifth Coalition|war]] broke out between France and Austria in 1809, which resulted in defeat for the Austrians again. The Imperial family had to flee Vienna again before the city surrendered on 12 May.<ref name="dsa8">de Saint-Amand, p. 8</ref> Their journey was hampered by bad weather, and they arrived in [[Buda]] "wet through, and nearly worn out with fatigue".<ref name="dsa8"/>

==Marriage proposal==
After escaping an assassination attempt in Vienna, while negotiating the [[Treaty of Schönbrunn]] on 12 October 1809, [[Emperor Napoleon]] decided that he needed an heir to cement his relatively young Empire.<ref name="dsa10">de Saint-Amand, p. 10</ref> He also sought the validation and legitimization of his Empire by marrying a member of one of the leading royal families of Europe. He began proceedings to divorce [[Joséphine de Beauharnais]], and per his family's wishes, he began searching for a new empress. His wish to marry [[Anna Pavlovna of Russia|Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia]], the youngest sister of [[Alexander I of Russia|Tsar Alexander I of Russia]], caused alarm in Austria, where they were afraid of being sandwiched between two great powers allied with each other.<ref name="dsa12">de Saint-Amand, p. 12</ref> At the persuasion of [[Prince Metternich]], a marriage between Napoleon and Marie Louise was suggested by Emperor Francis to the [[Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara|Count of Narbonne]]<ref>Bertier de Sauvigny, p. 116</ref><ref name="dsa15">de Saint-Amand, p. 15</ref> but no official overture was made by the Austrians.<ref name="dsa18">de Saint-Amand, p. 18</ref> Though officials in Paris and Austria were beginning to accept the possibility of the union, Marie Louise was kept uninformed of developments.<ref name="dsa20">de Saint-Amand, p. 20</ref>

Frustrated by the Russians delaying the marriage negotiations, Napoleon rescinded his proposal in late January 1810 and began negotiations to marry Marie Louise with the Austrian ambassador, the [[Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg|Prince of Schwarzenberg]].<ref name="dsa21">de Saint-Amand, p. 21</ref> Schwarzenberg signed the marriage contract on 7 February.<ref name="dsa22">de Saint-Amand, p. 22</ref> Marie Louise was informed of the marriage by Metternich.<ref name="dsa24">de Saint-Amand, p. 24</ref> When asked for consent, she replied: "I wish only what my duty commands me to wish."<ref name="dsa24"/>

However, earlier in life, a young Marie Louise had referred to [[Napoleon]] as "Krampus" and even "the Anti-Christ" in her letters to her governess, and when word got to Marie Louise that Napoleon was searching for a wife, she wrote: "I pity the poor princess whom he'll choose". At the time of Napoleon's proposal, she actually hoped to marry [[Francis IV, Duke of Modena]], who was the older brother of her step-mother.<ref name=":0" />

==Wedding==
[[Image:Napoleon Marie Louise Marriage1.jpeg|thumb|right|250px| ''[[The Wedding of Napoleon and Marie Louise]]'' by [[Georges Rouget]], 1810]]
Marie Louise was married by proxy to Napoleon on 11 March 1810 at the [[Augustinian Church, Vienna]].<ref name="dsa40">de Saint-Amand, p. 40</ref> Napoleon was represented by [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen|Archduke Charles]], the bride's uncle.<ref name="dsa38">de Saint-Amand, p. 38</ref> According to the French ambassador, the marriage "was celebrated with a magnificence that it would be hard to surpass, by the side of which even the brilliant festivities that have preceded it are not to be mentioned".<ref name="dsa42">de Saint-Amand, p. 42</ref> She became [[List of French consorts|Empress of the French]] and [[List of Italian queens|Queen of Italy]].

Marie Louise departed Vienna on 13 March,<ref name="dsa44">de Saint-Amand, p. 44</ref> probably expecting never to return.<ref name="dsa47">de Saint-Amand, p. 47</ref> Upon arriving in France she was placed in the custody of Napoleon's sister{{Which|date=August 2025}}, who had her put through a symbolic old ritual. Tradition dictated that a royal bride coming to France must keep nothing of her homeland, especially her clothing.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}} Accordingly, Marie Louise was stripped of her dress, corset, stockings, and chemise, leaving her completely naked. Napoleon's sister then made the nude Marie take a bath. She was then redressed in French bridal clothes.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}} [[Marie Antoinette]] had been put through a similar ritual when she arrived in France in 1770. Marie Louise met Napoleon for the first time on 27 March in [[Compiègne]],<ref name="dsa60">de Saint-Amand, p. 60</ref> remarking to him: "You are much better-looking than your portrait."<ref name="dsa60"/>

[[File:Ruggieri Elémens De Pyrotechnie 1811 Plate 27 b1071419 028 tif n583xv797.tiff| thumb|right | Drawing for the temple of Hymen, final firework display at the Celebration of the Marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise at the Residence of Princess Pauline Borghèse, the Palais De Neuilly]]

The civil wedding was held at the {{ill|Église Saint-Jacques de Compiègne|lt=Saint James Church|fr|Église Saint-Jacques de Compiègne}} on 1 April 1810.<ref name="dsa63">de Saint-Amand, p. 63</ref> The next day, Napoleon and Marie Louise made the journey to [[Paris]] in the coronation coach.<ref name="dsa68">de Saint-Amand, p. 68</ref> The [[Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)|Imperial Guard]] cavalry led the procession, followed by the herald-at-arms and then the carriages.<ref name="dsa68"/> The [[Marshal of France|Marshals of France]] rode on each side, near the doors of the carriages.<ref name="dsa68"/> The procession arrived at the [[Tuileries Palace]],<ref name="dsa70">de Saint-Amand, p. 70</ref> and the Imperial couple made their way to the [[Salon Carré]] chapel (in the [[Louvre Palace|Louvre]]) for the religious wedding ceremony.<ref name="dsa70"/> The ceremony was conducted by Cardinal [[Joseph Fesch]], [[Grand Almoner of France]] and Napoleon's uncle.<ref name="dsa71">de Saint-Amand, p. 71</ref> A Bridal March was composed for the occasion by [[Ferdinando Paer]],<ref>Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed, 1954, Vol VI, p. 487, '''PAER, Ferdinando'''</ref> and [[Cantata for the Wedding of Emperor Napoleon and Marie-Louise of Austria|a cantata]] by [[Johann Nepomuk Hummel]].

Elaborate celebrations continued to be held in May and June 1810. These included a ball, a [[masque]], a sea-battle on the Seine, and a display of fireworks created by [[Claude-Fortuné Ruggieri]], for 4,000 people.<ref name="Guffey">{{cite book |last1=Guffey |first1=Elizabeth E. |title=Drawing an elusive line : the art of Pierre-Paul Prud'hon |date=2001 |publisher=University of Delaware Press; Associated University Press |location=Newark, Del.; London |isbn=9780874137347 |page=146 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=elb3l5uLq4IC&pg=PA146}}</ref><ref name="Elémens">{{cite book|last1=Ruggieri |first1=Claude-Fortuné |title=Elémens De Pyrotechnie |url=https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/dr26xz10n |chapter=Plate 27: Final Firework Display at the Celebration of the Marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise at the Residence of Princess Pauline Borghèse, the Palais De Neuilly, on 14 June 1810 |publisher=Barba, libraire, Palais-Royal, derrièâtre français, no. 51; Magimel, libraire, rue de Thionvill |location=Paris, France|date=1811 |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

By this marriage, Napoleon became the great-nephew-in-law of [[Louis XVI]] and [[Marie-Antoinette]].

==Marriage to Napoleon==
{{Napoleon series}}

===Life as empress===
Marie Louise was excited as Napoleon’s wife and settled in quickly in the French court.<ref name="dsa76">de Saint-Amand, p. 76</ref> She developed a close friendship with her ''[[Première dame d'honneur]]'', the [[Louise Antoinette Lannes, Duchess of Montebello|Duchess of Montebello]],<ref name="dsa76"/> while most of the daily affairs were handled by her ''[[Dame d'atour]]'' [[Jeanne Charlotte du Luçay]]. Napoleon initially remarked that he had "married a womb" to an aide, but their relationship soon grew. He "spared no pains" to please her and claimed at one point to prefer Marie Louise to his first wife Joséphine;<ref name="dsa76"/><ref name="dsa80">de Saint-Amand, p. 80</ref> while he had loved Joséphine, and though he claimed Joséphine remained his greatest friend even after their amicable divorce, and that he still would choose her, whereas with Marie Louise, there was "Never a lie, never a debt" &mdash; presumably a reference to Joséphine's rumoured [[Extramarital sex|extramarital affairs]] and reputation as a spendthrift.<ref>Markham, Felix, ''Napoleon'', p.245</ref> Marie Louise wrote to her father: "I assure you, dear papa, that people have done great injustice to the Emperor. The better one knows him, the better one appreciates and loves him."<ref name="dsa94">de Saint-Amand, p. 94</ref> However, the marriage was not without tension; Napoleon sometimes remarked to aides that Marie Louise was too shy and timid, compared to the outgoing and passionate Josephine, with whom he remained in close contact, upsetting Marie Louise.

The excitement surrounding the wedding ushered in a period of peace and friendship between France and Austria, who had been largely at war for the last two decades. The people of Vienna, who hated Napoleon only months before, were suddenly in full praise of the French Emperor.<ref name="dsa39">de Saint-Amand, p. 39</ref> Flattering letters were sent between Napoleon and Emperor Francis, Empress Maria Ludovika Beatrix and Archduke Charles during the wedding festivities.<ref name="dsa44"/><ref name="dsa80"/><ref name="dsa61">de Saint-Amand, p. 61</ref>

During public occasions, Marie Louise spoke little due to reserve and timidity, which some observers mistook for haughtiness.<ref name="dsa128">de Saint-Amand, p. 128</ref> She was regarded as a quiet woman and never interfered in politics.<ref name="dsa130">de Saint-Amand, p. 130</ref><ref name="dsa129">de Saint-Amand, p. 129</ref> Privately, she was polite and gentle.<ref name="dsa140">de Saint-Amand, p. 140</ref>

Napoleon arranged for Marie Louise to participate in some carefully selected charity assignments, most notably the [[Société de Charité Maternelle]], for which he made her Honorary President.<ref>Christine Adams, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=9dceL4HYOewC&dq=Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9+maternelle+empress&pg=PA202 Poverty, Charity, and Motherhood: Maternal Societies in Nineteenth-Century]''</ref>

===Birth of first child===
[[Image:Marie Louise von Österreich Napoleon Zweite.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''[[Marie Louise with the King of Rome]]'' by [[Joseph Franque]], 1811]]
Marie Louise became pregnant by July 1810 and gave birth to a son on 20 March 1811.<ref name="dsa95">de Saint-Amand, p. 95</ref><ref name="dsa98">de Saint-Amand, p. 98</ref> The boy, [[Napoleon II|Napoléon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte]], was given the title ''King of Rome'', in accordance with the practice where the heir apparent to the Holy Roman Empire was called the [[King of the Romans]].<ref name="dsa98"/> Napoleon was delighted that his wife survived the ordeal and said: "I had rather never have any more children than see her suffer so much again."<ref name="dsa98"/>

Marie Louise was devoted to her son; she had him brought to her every morning and visited him in his apartment in the course of the day.<ref name="dsa141">de Saint-Amand, p. 141</ref>

===Resumption of war===
In May 1812, a month before the [[French invasion of Russia]], Marie Louise accompanied Napoleon to [[Dresden, Germany|Dresden]], where she met her father and stepmother.<ref name="dsa145">de Saint-Amand, p. 145</ref> Emperor Francis told Napoleon he could count on Austria for the "triumph of the common cause", a reference to the impending war.<ref name="dsa145"/> A minor rivalry began to develop between Marie Louise and the Empress of Austria, who was jealous at being upstaged in appearance by her stepdaughter.<ref name="dsa148">de Saint-Amand, p. 148</ref> It was also in Dresden where she met [[Adam Albert von Neipperg|Count Adam Albert von Neipperg]] for the first time. She would marry him [[Morganatic marriage|morganatically]] after her husband Napoleon I died on St. Helena in 1821.<ref name="dsa154">de Saint-Amand, p. 154</ref> Napoleon left Dresden on 29 May to take charge of his army.<ref name="dsa155">de Saint-Amand, p. 155</ref>

Marie Louise then travelled to [[Prague]], where she spent a few weeks with the Austrian Imperial family, before returning to Saint Cloud on 18 July.<ref name="dsa159">de Saint-Amand, p. 159</ref> She kept in touch with Napoleon throughout the war.<ref>Chastenet, p. 202–214</ref> The invasion of Russia ended disastrously for France. More than half of the ''[[Grande Armée]]'' was destroyed by the [[Russian Winter]] and [[guerrilla]] attacks. After the failed [[Malet coup of 1812|Malet coup of October 1812]], Napoleon hastened his return to France and reunited with his wife on the night of 18 December.<ref>Chastenet, p. 235</ref>

===Collapse of the Empire===
[[File:Napoleon bids farewell to his Guard at Fontainebleau on 20 April 1814 (1825), by Horace Vernet.jpg|thumb|''Napoleon Bids Farewell to His Guard'' by [[Horace Vernet]]. In April 1814 Napoleon attempted to abdicate in favour of his son with Marie Louise as [[regent]]]]
The weakened French position triggered the [[War of the Sixth Coalition|Sixth Coalition]]. [[Prussia]] allied with Russia and declared war on France (the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] was already at war with France), but Austria stayed out due to relations between the Imperial families.<ref>Herre, p. 154</ref> On 30 March, Marie Louise was appointed Regent as Napoleon set off for battle in Germany.<ref>Chastenet, p. 243</ref> The regency was only ''de jure'', as all decisions were still taken by Napoleon and implemented by his most senior officials, including [[Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance|Lebrun]], [[Joseph Bonaparte]], [[Talleyrand]] and [[Anne Jean Marie René Savary|Savary]].<ref>Herre, p. 159</ref> Marie Louise tried unsuccessfully to get her father to ally with France.<ref>Chastenet, p. 249</ref> Austria too joined the opposition to France. She maintained a correspondence with Napoleon, informing him of increasing demands for peace in Paris and the provinces.<ref>Durand, p. 121</ref> Napoleon was decisively defeated in [[Battle of Leipzig|Leipzig]] on 19 October and returned to Saint Cloud on 9 November.<ref>Archontology.org</ref>

On 23 January 1814, Marie Louise was appointed Regent for the second time.<ref name="durand124">Durand, p. 124</ref> On 25 January, at 03:00 in the morning, Napoleon embraced Marie Louise and his son for the last time.<ref name="durand124"/> He left to lead a hastily formed army to stave off the Allied invasion from the north.<ref>Durand, p. 125</ref>

As the Allies neared Paris, Marie Louise was reluctant to leave. She felt that as the daughter of the sovereign of Austria, one of the allied members, she would be treated with respect by Allied forces, with the possibility of her son succeeding the throne should Napoleon be deposed.<ref name="durand128">Durand, p. 128</ref> She was also afraid that her departure would strengthen the royalist supporters of the [[Bourbons]].<ref name="durand128"/> Marie Louise was finally persuaded to leave by [[Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke|Henri Clarke]], who received the order from Napoleon: "I would prefer to know that they [the Empress and the King of Rome] are both at the bottom of the Seine rather than in the hands of the foreigners."<ref name="durand129">Durand, p. 129</ref> On 29 March, the court left Paris.<ref name="durand129"/> The Allies entered the city the following day.

Marie Louise and the court moved to [[Blois]], which was safe from the Allies.<ref>Durand, p. 135</ref> She did not expect her father to dethrone Napoleon and deprive her son of the crown of France.<ref>Durand, p. 136</ref> On 3 April, the Senate, at the instigation of Talleyrand, announced the deposition of the Emperor.<ref>Herodote.net</ref> Marie Louise was unaware of this until 7 April, and was astonished to discover the turn of events.<ref name="durand138">Durand, p. 138</ref> She wanted to return to Paris, but was dissuaded from doing so by physician [[Jean-Nicolas Corvisart]] and the Duchess of Montebello.<ref name="durand138"/>

===Exile of Napoleon===
Napoleon abdicated the throne on 11 April 1814 in [[Fontainebleau]].<ref>Durand, p. 143</ref> The [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814)|Treaty of Fontainebleau]] exiled him to [[Elba]], allowed Marie Louise to retain her imperial rank and style and made her ruler of the duchies of [[Duchy of Parma|Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla]], with her son as heir.<ref>Article V, [[:s:Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814)|Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814)]]</ref> This arrangement was later revised at the [[Congress of Vienna]].<ref name="de Saint-Amand, p. x">de Saint-Amand, p. x</ref>

Marie Louise was strongly dissuaded from rejoining her husband by her advisors, who fed her accounts that Napoleon was distraught with grief over the death of Joséphine.<ref>Durand, p. 153</ref> On 16 April, her father arrived at Blois to meet her.<ref>de Saint-Amand, p. vi</ref> At the advice of Emperor Francis, Marie Louise departed Rambouillet with her son for Vienna on 23 April.<ref>de Saint-Amand, p. vii</ref> At Vienna, she stayed at [[Schönbrunn Palace|Schönbrunn]], where she received frequent visits from her sisters, but rarely from her father and stepmother.<ref>Durand, p. 164</ref> She met her grandmother, [[Maria Carolina of Austria|Maria Carolina]], who disapproved of her deserting her husband.<ref>Durand, p. 165</ref><ref>de Saint-Amand, p. i</ref> Distressed at being seen as a heartless wife and indifferent mother, she wrote on 9 August 1814: "I am in a very unhappy and critical position; I must be very prudent in my conduct. There are moments when that thought so distracts me that I think that the best thing I could do would be to die."<ref>de Saint-Amand, p. viii</ref>

==Congress of Vienna and relationship with Neipperg==
[[File:Portrait of Napoleon II by Thomas Lawrence (1818–1819).jpg|thumb|''[[Portrait of Napoleon II]]'' by [[Thomas Lawrence]]. Painted in 1819 by which time he lived in Vienna.]] 
In the summer of 1814, Emperor Francis sent Count [[Adam Albert von Neipperg]] to accompany Marie Louise to the spa town of [[Aix-les-Bains]] to prevent her from joining Napoleon on Elba.<ref name="lasagna">Lasagna</ref><ref name="herman">Herman, p. 236</ref> Neipperg was a confidant of Metternich and an enemy of Napoleon.<ref name="lasagna"/><ref name="dsaix"/> Marie Louise fell in love with Neipperg.<ref name="dsaix"/> They became lovers.<ref name="herman"/><ref name="dsaix"/> He became her chamberlain, and her advocate at the [[Congress of Vienna]].<ref name="dsaix"/> News of the relationship was not received well by the French and the Austrian public.<ref>Herre, p. 219</ref>

When Napoleon escaped in March 1815 and [[Hundred Days|reinstated his rule]], the Allies once again declared war. Marie Louise was asked by her stepmother to join in the processions to pray for the success of the Austrian armies but rejected the insulting invitation.<ref name="dsaix">de Saint-Amand, p. ix</ref> She passed a message to Napoleon's private secretary, [[Claude-François de Méneval]], who was about to return to France: "I hope he will understand the misery of my position ... I shall never assent to a divorce, but I flatter myself that he will not oppose an amicable separation, and that he will not bear any ill feeling towards me ... This separation has become imperative; it will in no way affect the feelings of esteem and gratitude that I preserve."<ref name="dsaix"/> Napoleon was defeated for the last time at the [[Battle of Waterloo]] and was exiled to [[Saint Helena]] from October 1815. Napoleon made no further attempt to contact her personally.

The Congress of Vienna recognised Marie Louise as ruler of [[Duchy of Parma|Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla]], but prevented her from bringing her son to Italy.<ref>Herre, p. 236</ref> It also made her Duchess of Parma for her life only, as the Allies did not want a descendant of Napoleon to have a hereditary claim over Parma.<ref name="de Saint-Amand, p. x"/> After her death, the duchy was to revert to the Bourbons.

==Duchess of Parma==
[[Image:Marie-Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma.jpg|thumb|150px|Portrait in 1839]]
[[Image:Maria Luigia dagherrotipo.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Daguerreotype]] of Marie Louise, 1847]]
Marie Louise departed for Parma on 7 March 1816, accompanied by Neipperg.<ref>Marchi, p. 201</ref> She entered the duchy on 18 April. She wrote to her father: "People welcomed me with such enthusiasm that I had tears in my eyes."<ref name="herre233">Herre, p. 233–234</ref> She largely left the running of day-to-day affairs to Neipperg, who received instructions from Metternich.<ref name="herre233"/> In December 1816, Marie Louise removed the incumbent Grand Chamberlain (prime minister) and installed Neipperg.<ref name="lasagna"/>

She and Neipperg had three children:<ref name="herman"/><ref name="dsaix"/>
* Albertine, Countess of Montenuovo (1817–1867), married Luigi Sanvitale, Count of Fontanellato
* [[William Albert, 1st Prince of Montenuovo|William Albert]], Count of Montenuovo, later created Prince of Montenuovo (1819–1895), married Countess Juliana [[Batthyány|Batthyány von Németújvár]]
* {{Citation needed span|Mathilde, Countess of Montenuovo (1822–c.1823)|date=December 2022}}

Napoleon died on 5 May 1821. On 8 August, Marie Louise married Neipperg [[morganatic marriage|morganatically]].<ref name="herman"/><ref name="dsaix"/> Neipperg died of heart problems on 22 February 1829,<ref name="herre260"/> devastating Marie Louise.<ref name="herre260">Herre, p. 260–263</ref> She was banned by Austria from mourning in public.<ref name="herre260"/> To replace Neipperg, Austria appointed Josef von Werklein as Grand Chamberlain.

Marie Louise's son by Napoleon, then known as "Franz", was given the title ''Duke of Reichstadt'' in 1818.<ref>Chastenet, p. 404</ref> Franz lived at the Austrian court, where he was shown great affection by his grandfather, but was constantly undermined by Austrian ministers and nationalists, who did their best to sideline him to become an irrelevance. There were fears that he might be smuggled over to France to regain the throne, as he could be easily disguised as a girl. 
Franz grew resentful at his Austrian relatives and his mother for their lack of support, and began identifying as Napoleon II and surrounding himself with French courtiers.<ref>de Saint-Amand, p. xii</ref> The relationship with his mother broke down when he became aware that his mother had borne two illegitimate children<ref name="Markham, Felix p. 249">Markham, Felix, ''Napoleon'', p. 249</ref> to Neipperg prior to their marriage; this occurred to such an extent that he once remarked "If [[Joséphine de Beauharnais|Josephine]] had been my mother, my father would not have been buried at [[Saint Helena]], and I should not be at Vienna. My mother is kind but weak; she was not the wife my father deserved; Josephine was."<ref name="Markham, Felix p. 249"/> However, before anything could become of Napoleon II, he died at the age of 21 in Vienna in 1832, after suffering from [[tuberculosis]].

1831 saw the outbreak of the [[Carbonari]]-led uprisings in Italy. In Parma, protesters gathered in the streets to denounce Grand Chamberlain Werklein.<ref name="herre279">Herre, 279–280</ref> Marie Louise did not know what to do and wanted to leave the city, but was prevented from doing so by the protesters, who saw her as someone who would listen to their demands.<ref name="herre279"/> She managed to leave Parma between 14 and 15 February, and the rebels formed a provisional government, led by Count Filippo Luigi Linati.<ref>Lasagni, [http://www.parmaelasuastoria.it/ita/Liani-Lovisini.aspx?idMostra=38&idNode=268#linati_luigi "Linati, Filippo Luigi"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106103916/http://www.parmaelasuastoria.it/ita/Liani-Lovisini.aspx?idMostra=38&idNode=268#linati_luigi |date=6 January 2017 }}</ref> At [[Piacenza]], she wrote to her father, asking him to replace Werklein.<ref name="herre279"/> Francis sent in Austrian troops, which crushed the rebellion.<ref>Fiorenzuola d'Arda</ref> To avoid further turmoil, Marie Louise granted amnesty to the dissidents on 29 September.<ref>Schiel, p. 333</ref>

To replace Werklein, in 1833, Metternich sent [[Charles-René de Bombelles]], a French émigré nobleman who had served in the Austrian army against Napoleon. Bombelles was an excellent Grand Chamberlain, who thoroughly reformed the finances of the duchy. A middle-aged widower, he also developed a close personal relationship with Marie Louise. Six months after his arrival, on 17 February 1834, she married him, again morganatically.<ref>Schiel, p. 345–347</ref>

==Death==
Marie Louise fell ill on 9 December 1847. Her condition worsened for the next few days. On 17 December, she passed out after vomiting and never woke up again. She died in the evening.<ref name="schiel354">Schiel, p. 354–355</ref> The cause of death was determined to be [[pleurisy]].<ref name="schiel354"/>

Her body was transferred back to Vienna and buried at the [[Imperial Crypt]].<ref>Chastenet, p. 445</ref>

== Arms  ==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
| [[File:Blason de Marie-Louise d'Autriche, Impératrice des Français.svg|200px]]<br>Marital arms of Empress Marie Louise
| [[File:Imperial Monogram of Marie-Louise of Austria, Empress of France.svg|120px]]<br>Monogram of Marie Louise
| [[File:Coat of arms of the Duchy of Parma under Maria Luigia of Austria.svg|170px]]<br>Arms as Duchess of Parma
|}

Her arms as Duchess of Parma are used as the logo of the perfume company [[Acqua di Parma]]. This is in homage to the role she played in helping to develop the perfume and glass industry of Parma.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madeinparma.com/en/news/parmas-perfumes|title=Profumi di Parma.|website=madeinparma.com}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
File:Crown of Empress Marie Louise 299 9964.jpg|Crown of Empress Marie Louise, set in silver, the 950 [[diamond]]s weigh 700 carats, the 79 original [[emerald]]s have been replaced with Persian turquoise [[cabochon]]s
File:Clock Thomire Louvre OA9511.jpg|A [[French Empire mantel clock]] representing Mars and Venus, an allegory of the wedding of [[Napoleon I]] and the Archduchess Marie Louise, c.1810
File:Maria Luigia Duchess of Parma.jpg|Decree with which Marie Louise Italianized her name as Maria Luigia
File:Maria Luigia 10 soldi 768767.jpg|Ten soldi coin of [[Duchy of Parma|Parma]], 1815, bearing the head of Marie Louise on the [[Obverse and reverse|obverse]] and her "ML" [[monogram]] on the [[Obverse and reverse|reverse]]
File:Sarcophage Impératrice Marie-Louise Kapuzinergruft Vienne.jpg|Sarcophagus of Marie Louise in the [[Imperial Crypt]], Vienna
</gallery>

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma'''
|2= 2. [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor]]
|3= 3. [[Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily]]
| 4 = 4. [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor]]<ref name="BLKO-Franz I">{{BLKO|wstitle=Habsburg, Franz I.|volume=6|page=208}}</ref>
| 5 = 5. [[Maria Luisa of Spain]]<ref name="BLKO-Franz I"/>
| 6 = 6. [[Ferdinand I, King of the Two Sicilies]]<ref name="BLKO-Maria Theresia von Neapel">{{BLKO|wstitle=Habsburg, Maria Theresia von Neapel|volume=7|page=81}}</ref>
| 7 = 7. [[Maria Carolina of Austria]]<ref name="BLKO-Maria Theresia von Neapel"/>
| 8 = 8. [[Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor]]<ref name="BLKO-Maria Theresia">{{BLKO|wstitle=Habsburg, Maria Theresia (deutsche Kaiserin)|volume=7|page=60}}</ref> (= 14)
| 9 = 9. [[Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary]]<ref name="BLKO-Maria Theresia"/> (= 15)
| 10 = 10. [[Charles III, King of Spain]]<ref name="BLKO-Maria Ludovica">{{BLKO|wstitle=Habsburg, Maria Ludovica (deutsche Kaiserin)|volume=7|page=53}}</ref> (= 12)
| 11 = 11. [[Maria Amalia of Saxony]]<ref name="BLKO-Maria Ludovica"/> (= 13)
| 12 = 12. [[Charles III, King of Spain]]<ref name="Genealogie9">{{cite book|title=Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans| trans-title=Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AINPAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA9|year=1768|publisher=Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel|location=Bourdeaux|language=fr|page=9}}</ref> (= 10)
| 13 = 13. [[Maria Amalia of Saxony]]<ref name="Genealogie9"/> (= 11)
| 14 = 14. [[Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor]]<ref name="BLKO-Maria Theresia"/> (= 8)
| 15 = 15. [[Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary]]<ref name="BLKO-Maria Theresia"/> (= 9)
}}

==See also==
* {{anl|Napoleon Diamond Necklace}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book |title=Metternich |last=de Bertier de Sauvigny |first=Guillaume |publisher=Fayard |year=1998 |location=Paris |isbn=2-213-60267-0}}
*{{cite book |title=Marie-Louise: l'impératrice oubliée |last=Chastenet |first=Geneviève |location=Paris |year=1983 |isbn=2-277-22024-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/marielouiselimpe0000chas }}
*{{cite book |title=Napoleon and Marie-Louise (1800–1814): A Memoir |last=Durand |first=Sophie Cohondet |year=1886 |publisher=S. Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/napoleonandmari00duragoog|quote=regen. }}
*{{cite web |title=Fiorenzuola d'Arda |url=http://www.turismoapiacenza.it/fiorenzuola.asp |publisher=Turismo a Piacenza |access-date=22 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328021207/http://www.turismoapiacenza.it/fiorenzuola.asp |archive-date=28 March 2012 }}
*{{cite book |title=Napoleon and Marie-Louise: Fall of Empire|last=Geer |first=Walter |year=1925 |publisher=Brentano's |location=New York}} 
*{{cite web |title=6 avril 1814: Abdication de Napoléon 1<sup>er</sup> |url=http://www.herodote.net/histoire/evenement.php?jour=18140406 |publisher=Herodote.net |access-date=21 July 2011}}
*{{cite book |title=Sex with the Queen |last=Herman |first=Eleanor |publisher=Harper Perennial |year=2006 |location=New York |isbn=978-0-06-084674-9 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/sexwithqueen00elea }}
*{{cite book |title=Maria Luigia : il destino di un' Asburgo da Parigi a Parma |last=Herre |first=Franz |year=1998 |publisher= Mondadori |location=Milan |isbn=88-04-42133-9}}
*{{cite web |title=Absburgo Lorena Maria Ludovica Leopoldine |url=http://www.parmaelasuastoria.it/ita/Abati-Adorno.aspx?idMostra=38&idNode=218#ABSBURGO_LORENA_MARIA_LUDOVICA_LEOPOLDINE |work=Dizionario dei biografico Parmigiani |last=Lasagna |first=Roberto |access-date=21 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314045802/http://www.parmaelasuastoria.it/ita/Abati-Adorno.aspx?idMostra=38&idNode=218#ABSBURGO_LORENA_MARIA_LUDOVICA_LEOPOLDINE |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite book |title=Vienna e Parma |last=Marchi |first=Adele Vittoria |location=Parma |publisher=Artegraf. Silva |year=1988}}
* Potocka-Wąsowiczowa, Anna z Tyszkiewiczów. ''Wspomnienia naocznego świadka.'' Warszawa: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1965.
*{{cite web |title=Napoléon Bonaparte |url=http://www.archontology.org/nations/france/france_state1/napoleon1a.php |publisher=Archontology.org |access-date=21 July 2011}}
*{{cite book| title = Empress Innocence: The Life of Marie-Louise
 | publisher = A.A. Knopf | location = New York
 |last=Ravage | first=M. E. | author-link1= Marcus Eli Ravage
| url=https://archive.org/details/empressinnocence0000mera/
 | year = 1931
}}
*{{cite book |title=The Happy Days of the Empress Marie Louise |last=de Saint-Amand |first=Imbert |publisher=HardPress Publishing |location=Miami |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4076-4955-9}}
*{{cite book |title=Maria Luigia - Giuseppe che una donna e che amare governare Giuseppe |last=Schiel |first=Imgard |location=Milan |publisher=Loganesi |year=1997}}
*{{cite book |title=Four Years an Empress: Marie-Louise, Second Wife of Napoleon |last=de Stoeckl |first=Agnes |publisher=John Murray |year=1962 |location=London }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Marie-Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma}}
*[https://archive.today/20130112053023/http://text.habsburger.net/habsburger-im-familienportraet/marie-louise-habsburg-lothringen Marie Louise] at ''Die Welt der Habsburger'' {{in lang|de}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]|12 December|1791|17 December|1847|[[House of Lorraine]]}}
{{S-roy}}
|-
{{S-vac|rows=2||last=[[Joséphine de Beauharnais]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Empress consort of the French]]|years=1810&ndash;1814; 1815}}
{{S-vac|next=[[Marie Thérèse of France]]|as=Queen of France and Navarre}}
|-
{{S-ttl|title=[[Queen consort of Italy]]|years=1810&ndash;1814}}
{{S-vac|next=[[Margherita of Savoy]]}}
{{S-reg|}}
|-
{{S-vac|reason=[[First French Empire]]|last=[[Ferdinand, Duke of Parma|Ferdinand]]|rows=2}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Duke of Parma|Duchess of Parma and Piacenza]]|years=1814&ndash;1847}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Charles II, Duke of Parma|Charles II]]}}
|-
{{S-ttl|title=[[Duke of Guastalla|Duchess of Guastalla]]|years=1814&ndash;1847}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Francis V, Duke of Modena|Francis]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Napoleon}}
{{Austrian archduchesses}}
{{Imperial House of France (First French Empire)}}
{{French consorts}}
{{Italian consorts}}
{{Dukes of Parma}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marie Louise Of Austria}}
[[Category:1791 births]]
[[Category:1847 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century dukes of Parma]]
[[Category:18th-century women from Bohemia]]
[[Category:18th-century nobility from Bohemia]]
[[Category:19th-century Austrian women]]
[[Category:19th-century French women]]
[[Category:19th-century French people]]
[[Category:19th-century Italian people]]
[[Category:19th-century Italian women]]
[[Category:19th-century women regents]]
[[Category:19th-century regents]]
[[Category:19th-century women monarchs]]
[[Category:Austrian princesses]]
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[[Category:Empresses of the French]]
[[Category:House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]
[[Category:Queens consort of Italy]]
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[[Category:Nobility from Vienna]]
[[Category:Princes of Parma and Piacenza]]
[[Category:Regents of France]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic monarchs]]
[[Category:Remarried empresses consort]]
[[Category:Daughters of emperors]]
[[Category:Burials at the Imperial Crypt]]
[[Category:Children of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor]]
[[Category:Daughters of kings]]
[[Category:Mothers of emperors]]
[[Category:Duchesses regnant]]
[[Category:Daughters of counts]]