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J茅r么me Bonaparte
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J閞鬽e-Napol閛n Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort (15 November 1784 – 24 June 1860) was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia (1807-1813). After 1848, when his nephew Louis Napoleon became President of the French Republic, he served in several official roles.
me was born Girolamo Buonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica as the eighth and last surviving child, fifth surviving son, of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino.
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J閞鬽e-Napol閛n Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort (15 November 1784 – 24 June 1860) was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia (1807-1813). After 1848, when his nephew Louis Napoleon became President of the French Republic, he served in several official roles.
Early life
J閞鬽e was born Girolamo Buonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica as the eighth and last surviving child, fifth surviving son, of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. He was a younger brother of Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon Bonaparte, Lucien Bonaparte, Elisa Bonaparte, Louis Bonaparte, Pauline Bonaparte and Caroline Bonaparte.
He studied at the Catholic college of Juilly, and then served with the French navy before going to the United States. On 24 December 1803, J閞鬽e married Elizabeth Patterson (1785-1879), daughter of Baltimore merchant William Patterson and his wife Dorcas Spear. Napoleon was unable to convince Pope Pius VII to annul their marriage, so he annulled their marriage himself. Elizabeth was pregnant at the time with a son, and on her way to Europe with J閞鬽e. When they landed in neutral Portugal, Jerome set off overland to Italy to attempt to convince his brother to recognize the marriage. Elizabeth then attempted to land in Amsterdam, but Napoleon had issued orders barring the ship from entering the harbour. Being with child Elizabeth went on to England where J閞鬽e Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Camberwell Grove, Camberwell, London, England. J閞鬽e never saw Elizabeth again.
King of Westphalia
Made king of Westphalia, the short-lived realm created by Napoleon from the states of northwestern Germany (1807-1813), with its capital in Kassel (then: Cassel), J閞鬽e married Catharina of W黵ttemberg, the daughter of the King of W黵ttemberg in a marriage arranged by Napoleon. The connection to a German princess was intended to strengthen the reputation of the young French king. In order to emphasize his rank as a ruler, J閞鬽e commissioned grandiose state portraits of himself and his spouse. Other paintings celebrated his military exploits. France's most prominent painters were in his service.
When J閞鬽e and Katharina arrived in Kassel, they found the palaces in a plundered state. As such, they placed orders for an array of stately furniture and expensive silverware with leading Parisian manufactures. The local artisans oriented themselves with these French models. The king also intended to refurnish his capital architecturally. The court theatre ranks among the small number of projects realised. J閞鬽e had it designed by Leo von Klenze and constructed next to the summer residence previously known as Wilhelmsh鰄e, but subsequently changed to Napoleonsh鰄e.
As a model state, the Kingdom of Westphalia was to serve as an example for the other German states. For this reason, it received the first constitution and parliament to be found on German soil. J閞鬽e imported the empire style from Paris, thereby bestowing the new state with a modern, representative appearance. Thanks to these efforts, Kassel celebrated an enormous cultural upturn.
In 1812 J閞鬽e commanded a corps of soldiers marching towards the Russian front. Because he insisted in traveling in state Napoleon reprimanded him and ordered him to leave his court behind. Angered by Napoleon's order, J閞鬽e returned with his court to Westphalia. After the defeat in Russia he petitioned Napoleon to allow his wife to come to Paris due to her fear of the advancing allied army. After two attempts Napoleon granted permission.
J閞鬽e briefly re-entered the army in 1813 when his kingdom was being threatened by the allied Prussian and Russian armies. He led a small force to challenge their invasion. After a clash with a detachment he camped his army while hoping for reinforcements from the French army. However, before the reinforcements arrived the main allied force captured Kassel and declared the Kingdom of Westphalia dissolved. This ended J閞鬽e's kingship. He then fled to France where his wife was already waiting.
Later years
Although Katharina was aware of J閞鬽e's constant affairs, she remained true to her husband even after the loss of dignity. They had a son, Napol閛n Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte (1822-1891), also known as "Prince Napoleon" or "Plon-Plon". Their second child, a daughter, Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, was prominent during and after the Second French Empire as a hostess. After his own kingdom was dissolved, he was given the title of Prince of Montfort by the king of W黵ttemberg, his father in-law. But by 1814 the king forced him and his wife to leave the country. He returned to France and rallied to Napoloeon during the Hundred Days rule.
Later, J閞鬽e moved to Italy where he married Giustina Pecori-Su醨ez, the widow of an Italian nobleman.
When his nephew, Prince Louis Napoleon, became President of the French Republic in 1848, J閞鬽e was made governor of Les Invalides, Paris, the burial place of his famous brother. When Napoleon III became emperor, J閞鬽e was recognized as the heir presumptive to the throne until the birth of the crown prince Napol閛n Eug鑞e. He later became Marshal of France and president of the Senate, and received the title Prince Fran鏰is.
J閞鬽e Bonaparte died on 24 June 1860 at Villegenis, France (today Massy in Essonne). He is buried in Les Invalides, Paris.
His grandson Charles Joseph Bonaparte served as United States Secretary of the Navy and United States Attorney General. He founded the precursor of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1908.
Baroness Jenny von Sustedt, one of J閞鬽e Bonaparte's illegitimate children, was the grandmother of the German Socialist and Feminist writer Lily Braun.
Family
- J閞鬽e Napol閛n Charles Bonaparte, 2nd Prince of Montfort, Prince Fran鏰is (1814-1847)
- Mathilde Bonaparte (1820-1904) married Anatole Demidoff, 1st Prince de San Donato
- Napol閛n Joseph Bonaparte (1822-1891) married Princess Clotilde of Savoy
- Napol閛n Victor Bonaparte (1862-1926) married Princess Clementine of Belgium
- Clotilde Bonaparte (1912-1996) married Serge de Witt
- Louis Bonaparte (1914-1997) married Alix de Foresta
- Charles Bonaparte (1950-) married Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Jeanne Fran鏾ise Valliccionni
- Caroline Napol閛n Bonaparte (1980-)
- Jean-Christophe Napol閛n Bonaparte (1986-)
- Sophie Cath閞ine Bonaparte (1992-)
- Catherine Bonaparte (1950-) married Marquis Nicholas of S Germane, John Duale
- Laura Bonaparte (1952-) married John Claude Leconte
- Jerome Xavier Bonaparte (1957-)
- Napol閛n Louise Bonaparte (1864-1932)
- Maria Laetitia Bonaparte (1866-1926) married Amedeo, 1st Duke of Aosta
See also
External links
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