Much is made of Marie Louise’s extreme passivity in the memoirs but she refused to join her husband when it looked like he wouldn’t come out the winner in 1814. She also refused to be pleasant with Josephine who really did sacrifice herself for what seemed like the well-being of France. On the other hand, Marie Louise was compliant about leaving her son in the hands of people who were likely dangerous to him when she went off with her new lover to the land she received in return for her obedience.
Why was Marie Louise even asked to leave her son? People can argue about whether her son was killed but no one can argue about the situations that were forced on Marie Louise - who had no means of being self sufficient in the manner to which she was accustomed. The memoirs really fill in the portraits of who these people really were.
The memoirs are here.
Early on in their mariage, Napoleon asked Marie Louise what she was told to do in regards to him and the answer was to “obey” him. Clearly there was a caveat to that order. She was to obey him as long as he continued to win battles. That’s the marriage she was compelled to undertake - to a man that she was raised to revile.
Here below Josephine writes to her son about Marie Louise for the first time.
Dear Eugène,
Malmaison, November 19th, 1810.
I delayed writing to you, my dear Eugène.
I was waiting for a certain opportunity and I am taking advantage today of the departure of the Treasurer of the Crown of Italy to give you some details about my position. You know about the letter I wrote to the Emperor; I sent you a copy. I received his reply when I returned from Sécheron. He leaves me completely free on the choice of where I shall live. He says that Navarre and Milan are the most suitable places.
It is in Milan that I would have given the preference. You know how much I wanted to spend a few months with you, but you cannot imagine all the rumors that have been spread about this. It has been claimed that I was ordered to go to Italy and that I would not be able to come back to France anymore. The anxiety had spread to the people of my house. All feared a trip that would never end.
I was therefore obliged to give up what would have been the sweetest excursion so as not to leave France, at least not this year.
It seems that the Empress Marie Louise will not acknowledge me and she has no desire to see me. In this we are perfectly in agreement and I would have consented to see her only if it would please the Emperor. It would even appear that she has for me more than just coldness, and I do not see the reason for it, because she only knows me by the great sacrifice that I made for him. Like her, I want the the Emperor to be happy, and this feeling should bring her closer to me. But none of this will affect my behavior.
I have drawn the line that I must follow and I will not depart from it. It is to live far from everything in retirement, but with dignity and to ask for nothing but peace.
The arts and botany will be my occupations. This summer, I will go to the waters, and, to be near you, I have just bought a pretty great place on the shores of Lake Geneva and for the price of 165,000 francs. I will spend this winter in Navarre where I will go this week. The few days that I remained at Malmaison were necessary for me to rest after my journey from Switzerland. I saw few people there. People who at other times seemed very attached to me did not give me any indication that I still exist to them. I forgive them heartily. I only remember those who have not forgotten me and I do not think of others. I shall, I hope, find happiness around me in the tenderness of my children, for I am sure that my dear Eugène will always love me as I love him. Farewell, my dear son, I embrace Auguste and my granddaughters, and I love you dearly.
JOSEPHINE.