Pauline Bonaparte

Pauline Bonaparte was Napoleon’s sister and a prominent member of the imperial family. Married first to Charles Leclerc and later to Prince Camillo Borghese, she became duchess of Guastalla, cultivated a scandalous public image and remained personally loyal to Napoleon during his fall and exile.

Pauline Bonaparte belonged to the House of Bonaparte and operated within France. Pauline Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio and died in Florence. Pauline Bonaparte also held the offices or ranks of princess.

Michelle Moran’s The Second Empress portrays Pauline Bonaparte as a possessive and volatile presence within Napoleon’s imperial household. Her hostility toward Marie Louise, the Austrian archduchess chosen to replace Joséphine and provide a legitimate heir, turns dynastic politics into an intimate contest over access to Napoleon and loyalty to the Bonaparte family. As military defeat closes around the empire, Pauline’s fierce attachment to her brother contrasts with Marie Louise’s increasingly divided obligations to husband, child and Habsburg family.