Josephine of Leuchtenberg

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Joséphine, Queen of Sweden and Norway (Joséphine Maximiliane Eugénie Napoléone de Beauharnais) (14 March, 1807 - 7 June, 1876) was the Queen consort of Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. She was known as Queen Josefina.

[edit] Biography

Born in Milan, Italy, She was a daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais, the first Duke of Leuchtenberg and his wife, Princess Amalia of Bavaria. Her paternal grandparents were Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais and Josephine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Napoleon I of France. Her maternal grandparents were Maximilian I of Bavaria and Marie Wilhelmine Auguste Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Princess Joséphine married Oscar I at the Leuchtenberg palace in Munich on May 22 1823. They also conducted a wedding ceremony on June 19 in Stockholm. Through her mother Augusta Amalia of Bavaria (her maternal line of Hesse and upwards through Hanau and Ansbach, Baden-Durlach and Kleeburg), Josephine was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden and of a sister of Charles X of Sweden, thus making her children also descendants of Gustav Vasa etc. Christian II of Sweden is also one of her ancestors, through her grandfather the king of Bavaria who descends from Renata of Lorraine.

Six days after her arrival in Sweden, her middle name Napoléone was removed. This was because Sweden had fought against Bonaparte in the recent war. She had brought with her several pieces of exclusive jewellery made in Paris for her paternal grandmother, which still are among the possessions of Royal Houses of Sweden and Denmark.

Josephine was interested in gardening, enjoyed painting and involved in charity and reforms in Sweden. Although she was a devoted Catholic she agreed to raise her children Lutheran. Oscar and Josephine had five children, of which two were to become kings of Sweden and Norway.

Josephine died at the age of sixty-nine and was buried according to Catholic customs. Her last words were "I am going home now, I am very happy".

Children: