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Introduction
Napoleon I married Marie-Louise de Habsburg-Lorraine at civil and religious ceremonies on 1 and 2 April, 1810. The union marked a striking volte-face of alliances both for France and Austria and inaugurated a brief period of Franco-Austrian peace. Despite backbiting (notably by Talleyrand who argued that this marriage “was just to satisfy [Napoleon’s] vanity”), it nevertheless produced the one key thing: a son.
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Documents
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Commentary
– Llewellyn D. Cook, Jr.: Austrian Diplomacy: The Marriage of Marie Louise to Napoleon
-Thierry Lentz: Was Napoleon’s marriage to Marie-Louise a good idea?
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Timeline
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Biographies
– BERTHIER, Louis-Alexandre
– METTERNICH-WINNEBURG, (Clément Wenceslas Lothaire, Prince de)
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Bibliography
–Selection of books, articles and documents in French, English and German
A close-up on: the marriage of Napoleon I and Marie-Louise of Austria
Napoleon I married Marie-Louise de Habsburg-Lorraine at civil and religious ceremonies on 1 and 2 April, 1810. The union marked a striking volte-face of alliances both for France and Austria and inaugurated a brief period of Franco-Austrian peace. Despite backbiting (notably by Talleyrand who argued that this marriage “was just to satisfy [Napoleon’s] vanity”), it nevertheless produced the one key thing: a son.
© Photo RMN-Grand Palais - D. Arnaudet / H. Lewandowski