Pauline Bonaparte
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Pauline Bonaparte, Princess and Duchess of Guastalla (October 20, 1780- June 9, 1825) (she spelled the named "Buonaparte") was the younger sister of Napoleon I of France, and was his favourite sister.
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[edit] Prior to Napoleon's Rise to Power
Pauline was born in Ajaccio, Corsica. She was the sixth surviving child and second surviving daughter of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino.
She was a younger sister of Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon I of France, Lucien Bonaparte, Elisa Bonaparte and Louis Bonaparte. She was also an older sister of Caroline Bonaparte and Jérôme Bonaparte.
Her childhood was spent in her native Ajaccio. At the age of thirteen she was involved in the Buonapartes' night-time escape from their home, travelling with her mother and siblings to the French mainland, making a mark on Napoleon's rise to power.
[edit] After Napoleon's Rise to Power
After her numerous love affairs became an embarrassment, Napoleon had Pauline married to Charles Leclerc, one of his generals. She accompanied Leclerc to Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) in 1802 to remove the black general Toussaint Louverture from power and restore slavery.
Despite her brother's position, and the fact that her husband was fighting a war, Pauline continued to have affairs in Saint-Domingue, often with low-ranking soldiers and officers. Although she was disloyal, Pauline did attend her husband during his fatal sickness with yellow fever, which killed him in November 1802.
Napoleon later had Pauline married to a member of the Borghese family. After the wedding, Napoleon bought a large part of the Borghese art collection at a discount for the Louvre. During her marriage, Pauline posed for a partially nude sculpture as Venus Victrix by Antonio Canova which now resides at the Galleria Borghese.
[edit] After Napoleon's Fall
In 1806, Napoleon made his sister sovereign Princess and Duchess of Guastalla. However, she soon sold the Duchy to Parma for six million francs, and lost the title of Princess of Guastalla (although she continued to be styled as Duchess). Pauline fell into temporary disfavor with her brother because of her hostility to Empress Marie Louise, but when Napoleon's fortune failed, Pauline showed herself more loyal than any of his other sisters and brothers.
Upon Napoleon's fall, Pauline liquidated all of her assets into cash, and moved to Elba, using that money, to better Napoleon's condition. Pauline was the only Bonaparte sibling to visit her brother during his exile at Elba.
[edit] External links
es:Paulina Bonaparte fr:Pauline Bonaparte nl:Pauline Bonaparte ja:ポーリーヌ・ボナパルト pl:Paulina Bonaparte fi:Pauline Bonaparte sv:Pauline Bonaparte
