Marie Louise is one of the most mysterious figures of the Napoleon saga. Napoleon had an innumerable hoard trying to bring him down. Napoleon marries Marie Louise in 1810 and he’s finished - quick.
Who was she? All I have learned about her has come from the memoirs. These memoirists do not seem to really like her. They all say she was very nice.
The idea that those who capital L loved Napoleon would resent her, makes perfect sense as she appeared to be the catalyst of not only the downfall of Napoleon but also the sovereignty of France.
What is the truth?
Let’s look at her own words so we can be totally fair to her.
Her diary starts with a trip she takes after her marriage to Napoleon. She repeatedly expresses contempt for Napoleon’s sister Caroline but I certainly cannot fault her for that. Caroline was occupying a throne that Marie Louise believed belonged to her very beloved grandmother, Caroline. We can never forget that the misery of everyone Marie Louise loved was, in her mind, all Napoleon’s fault. Apparently Marie Louise wanted to marry her uncle (who was closer to her age than Napoleon) when she was sent off to perform the duties of a political marriage.
Below we can see that Marie Louise is not too haughty to admit her faults and she looks down on people for behaving in an immoral fashion. Her writing is clear and intelligent.
