Dear Carolyn,
 
Thank you for your answer. The question was actually asked by Jansy, not I--I just quoted it for an argument--but anyway I thank you for participating in the TT group reading. I also feel sorry for Marie Louise for her arraged marriage in spite of her will--if my memory is correct, she fainted when she was told she was going to marry Napoleon--but I doubt she plays an important role in TT as Jansy thinks.  
 
Akiko 
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald B. Johnson
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 12:01 PM
Subject: Fwd: Marie Louise & Napoleon



----- Forwarded message from chaiselongue@earthlink.net -----
    Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 17:47:15 -0800
    From: Carolyn <chaiselongue@earthlink.net>

Dear Akiko,

 While still a student, Hugh would already have been suffering from a
jealous rage, such as Napoleonīs might have been  because..did not
Bonaparteīs second wife Marie Louise betray him and bear two children from
Count Neipperg?

The answer to this question is yes and no. Marie Louise did "betray" the
exiled Napoleon with Neipperg, who was to become after Napoleon's death her
morganatic husband. She did refuse to join Napoleon in Elba & he threatened
to have her forcibly abducted. That seems to have ended the marriage for all
intents and purposes.

However in his will, Napoleon spoke of his child bride with tenderness and
forgave her. Her children with Neipperg were born after Napoleon's death.
She was again widowed and again remarried.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Marie Louise, because the story of her
arranged marriage with Napoleon, whom she had been raised to regard as the
Antichrist, is such a marvelous "Beauty and the Beast" story.

Carolyn

----- End forwarded message -----\
EDNOTE. Personally, I'm more an admirer of Josephine.


Dear Akiko,

While still a student, Hugh would already have been suffering from a jealous rage, such as Napoleonīs might have been  because..did not Bonaparteīs second wife Marie Louise betray him and bear two children from Count Neipperg?

The answer to this question is yes and no. Marie Louise did "betray" the exiled Napoleon with Neipperg, who was to become after Napoleon's death her morganatic husband. She did refuse to join Napoleon in Elba & he threatened to have her forcibly abducted. That seems to have ended the marriage for all intents and purposes.

However in his will, Napoleon spoke of his child bride with tenderness and forgave her. Her children with Neipperg were born after Napoleon's death. She was again widowed and again remarried.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Marie Louise, because the story of her arranged marriage with Napoleon, whom she had been raised to regard as the Antichrist, is such a marvelous "Beauty and the Beast" story.

Carolyn