Princess Clementine of Belgium
Encyclopedia
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|Clementine of Belgium (Clémentine Albertine Marie Léopoldine (French) or Clementina Albertina Maria Leopoldina (Dutch)) (30 July 1872 – 8 March 1955) was a member of the Belgian Royal Family and the wife of Napoléon Victor Bonaparte, Bonapartist
pretender to the throne of France.
and Marie Henriette of Austria
. After the arrival of the young princess, her parents lost any hope having a son. So far they had two daughters Princess Louise-Marie of Belgium
and Princess Stephanie of Belgium
. The couple's only son, Leopold, Duke of Brabant had died in 1869 after falling in a pond.
Clémentine was raised by her mother, who had a terrible and difficult temper, so Clémentine sought friendship from her older sister, Stéphanie
, later Crown Princess of Austria-Hungary. After Stephanie went to Austria to marry the Crown Prince of Austria
, Clémentine was left alone. Her eldest sister Louise was already married by the time Clémentine reached six so she never really saw Louise much. However, once Clémentine came of age, she was given independence by her father to travel without her mother's approval. She later wrote, thanking her father, saying, "Thanks to you, dear father, I have been able to find happiness." However, this happiness was short lived as Clémentine's mother (Marie Henriette of Austria
) died in 1902 and Clémentine became the country's first lady next to her elderly father, Leopold II of Belgium
.
, eldest son of her uncle Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
and heir to her father as he had no sons. The second was Baron Auguste Goffinet, a member of the Belgian court, and the last was Prince Napoléon Victor Bonaparte, heir to the Napoleon empire after the death of his cousin Napoléon Eugène, Prince Imperial
, son of the former Empress Eugenie. Unfortunately Prince Baudouin did not return Clémentine's affections and died in his early twenties. A marriage with the Baron would have been impossible as he was not of royal blood. Her love for the Bonaparte Prince was something she never gave up.
Prince in 1888 when he visited the palace. She
then became attracted to the Prince and began to tell her sister how she felt about him. However, King Leopold did not want his daughter to marry the Bonaparte
Prince, which caused arguments between father and daughter. This and the constant presence of Clémentine's father's prostitute mistress meant that the two did not often talk. By the time Clémentine turned 31 in 1903, she realised that she loved Prince Napoleon and asked her father yet again if she could marry him. He said no. She asked again, saying it was her last chance of happiness, but the king continued to say no and threatened her with disinheritance. With no other possible options Napoleon and Clémentine realised that they could marry only when her father died so they decided to wait.
, her cousin and Prince Baudouin's youngest brother, for permission to marry Victor, and King Albert
agreed. The wedding took place in Moncalieri
, Italy, on 10 November/14 November 1910. Clémentine's marriage changed her from her father's consort to the wife of the head of the Bonaparte family. She later wrote to her sister Stephanie, now married to the Hungarian Count Elemer Lonyay, saying, "My good husband, gentle, adoring, tender, loving, intelligent, connoisseur of people and things. He is beautiful, this Prince. Napoleon is a love, I adore him." Napoleon and Clémentine later had two children: Princess Marie-Clotilde
, born in 1912, and Louis Jérôme Bonaparte, born in 1914.
|Clementine of Belgium (Clémentine Albertine Marie Léopoldine (French) or Clementina Albertina Maria Leopoldina (Dutch)) (30 July 1872 – 8 March 1955) was a member of the Belgian Royal Family and the wife of Napoléon Victor Bonaparte, Bonapartist
Bonapartist
In French political history, Bonapartism has two meanings. In a strict sense, this term refers to people who aimed to restore the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte, the Corsican family of Napoleon Bonaparte and his nephew Louis...
pretender to the throne of France.
Early life
Princess Clémentine was born at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Laeken, the third daughter, and last child, of King Leopold II of BelgiumLeopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
and Marie Henriette of Austria
Marie Henriette of Austria
Marie Henriette of Austria was the queen consort of King Leopold II of Belgium.-Family:...
. After the arrival of the young princess, her parents lost any hope having a son. So far they had two daughters Princess Louise-Marie of Belgium
Princess Louise-Marie of Belgium
Louise Marie of Belgium , princess of Belgium, was the eldest daughter of Leopold II, king of the Belgians, and his wife Marie Henriette, archduchess of Austria.-Marriage and issue:...
and Princess Stephanie of Belgium
Princess Stéphanie of Belgium
Stéphanie was a Belgium princess by birth, and then made Crown Princess of Austria through her marriage to the heir of the Habsburg dynasty, Archduke Rudolf...
. The couple's only son, Leopold, Duke of Brabant had died in 1869 after falling in a pond.
Clémentine was raised by her mother, who had a terrible and difficult temper, so Clémentine sought friendship from her older sister, Stéphanie
Princess Stéphanie of Belgium
Stéphanie was a Belgium princess by birth, and then made Crown Princess of Austria through her marriage to the heir of the Habsburg dynasty, Archduke Rudolf...
, later Crown Princess of Austria-Hungary. After Stephanie went to Austria to marry the Crown Prince of Austria
Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria
Rudolf , archduke of Austria and crown prince of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia, was the son and heir of Franz Joseph I, emperor of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia, and his wife and empress, Elisabeth...
, Clémentine was left alone. Her eldest sister Louise was already married by the time Clémentine reached six so she never really saw Louise much. However, once Clémentine came of age, she was given independence by her father to travel without her mother's approval. She later wrote, thanking her father, saying, "Thanks to you, dear father, I have been able to find happiness." However, this happiness was short lived as Clémentine's mother (Marie Henriette of Austria
Marie Henriette of Austria
Marie Henriette of Austria was the queen consort of King Leopold II of Belgium.-Family:...
) died in 1902 and Clémentine became the country's first lady next to her elderly father, Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
.
Love interests
Throughout Clémentine's life she had three known loves. The first was her cousin Prince BaudouinPrince Baudouin of Belgium
Prince Baudouin of Belgium , born in Brussels, was the first child and eldest son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.Baudouin was the nephew of Leopold II of Belgium...
, eldest son of her uncle Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
align="right"|Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders was the third born son of King Leopold I of the Belgians and his wife Louise d'Orléans . He was born at the Château de Laeken, near Brussels, Belgium...
and heir to her father as he had no sons. The second was Baron Auguste Goffinet, a member of the Belgian court, and the last was Prince Napoléon Victor Bonaparte, heir to the Napoleon empire after the death of his cousin Napoléon Eugène, Prince Imperial
Napoléon Eugène, Prince Imperial
Napoléon, Prince Imperial, , Prince Imperial, Fils de France, was the only child of Emperor Napoleon III of France and his Empress consort Eugénie de Montijo...
, son of the former Empress Eugenie. Unfortunately Prince Baudouin did not return Clémentine's affections and died in his early twenties. A marriage with the Baron would have been impossible as he was not of royal blood. Her love for the Bonaparte Prince was something she never gave up.
Prince Victor Napoleon
Princess Clémentine first met the BonaparteBonaparte
The House of Bonaparte is an imperial and royal European dynasty founded by Napoleon I of France in 1804, a French military leader who rose to notability out of the French Revolution and transformed the French Republic into the First French Empire within five years of his coup d'état...
Prince in 1888 when he visited the palace. She
then became attracted to the Prince and began to tell her sister how she felt about him. However, King Leopold did not want his daughter to marry the Bonaparte
Bonaparte
The House of Bonaparte is an imperial and royal European dynasty founded by Napoleon I of France in 1804, a French military leader who rose to notability out of the French Revolution and transformed the French Republic into the First French Empire within five years of his coup d'état...
Prince, which caused arguments between father and daughter. This and the constant presence of Clémentine's father's prostitute mistress meant that the two did not often talk. By the time Clémentine turned 31 in 1903, she realised that she loved Prince Napoleon and asked her father yet again if she could marry him. He said no. She asked again, saying it was her last chance of happiness, but the king continued to say no and threatened her with disinheritance. With no other possible options Napoleon and Clémentine realised that they could marry only when her father died so they decided to wait.
Father's death and Clementine's marriage
Clémentine's father died in 1909, enabling Clémentine and Prince Napoleon to marry. Clémentine asked the new monarch, King AlbertAlbert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
, her cousin and Prince Baudouin's youngest brother, for permission to marry Victor, and King Albert
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
agreed. The wedding took place in Moncalieri
Moncalieri
Moncalieri is a town and comune of approximately 58,000 inhabitants about eight kilometers directly south of downtown Turin , in Piedmont, Italy. It is notable for its castle, built in the 12th century and enlarged in the 15th century, which later became the favorite residence of Maria Clotilde...
, Italy, on 10 November/14 November 1910. Clémentine's marriage changed her from her father's consort to the wife of the head of the Bonaparte family. She later wrote to her sister Stephanie, now married to the Hungarian Count Elemer Lonyay, saying, "My good husband, gentle, adoring, tender, loving, intelligent, connoisseur of people and things. He is beautiful, this Prince. Napoleon is a love, I adore him." Napoleon and Clémentine later had two children: Princess Marie-Clotilde
Marie Clotilde Bonaparte
Princess Marie Clotilde Eugénie Alberte Laetitia Généviève Bonaparte was born March 20, 1912, in Brussels, Belgium and died April 14, 1996, at the Château de la Pommerie in Cendrieux, France...
, born in 1912, and Louis Jérôme Bonaparte, born in 1914.