Josephine dies in 1798, Who does Napoleon marry?

[TheDoofusUser]

On March 9th, 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte, at the time a General in the French Army and the future First Consul and Emperor of France, married Josephine de Beauharnais, who was key to elevating Napoleon in the right political circles and allowed him to gain some approval to command the AoI. The two never had children and would divorce in 1810 so Napoleon could remarry, having Napoleon II. However, what if in an alternate timeline, the following happened : Josephine has two children, Napoleon Charles Oscar Bonaparte (aka Napoleon "the Younger" or Napoleon II of TTL) on December 25th, 1796 and Louis Sebastien Xavier Bonaparte on September 15th, 1798. However, during the birth of the second son, something goes wrong and Josephine dies, though they are able to save Louis. With Napoleon's coup around the corner, who does he marry with the death of Josephine? (I imagine he might go for someone in their mid-late 20s to ensure he can have as many children as possible). And what becomes of Eugene and his half-brothers with Josephine's death and the new future French Empress?

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

This is a double PoD. First, Napoleon has sons earlier, which will bump his brothers off the succession. Second, he is free to marry again even before becoming Emperor.

This could improve the position of the Beauharnais, who are not just Napoleon's "step-relations", but blood kin to his heir.

I imagine he might go for someone in their mid-late 20s to ensure he can have as many children as possible)

More likely someone who is 18-20 - maximum fertility, and in those days a girl who didn't marry till late 20s would probably have issues. Marie Louise was 20.

However, any later dynastic marriage is complicated by the presence of his sons; the son of his second marriage won't be his heir.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

the son of his second marriage won't be his heir.

if things go as OTL, the boy will be heir to the kingdom of Italy. Even if Joseph accepts the offer of the Italian throne- he refused OTL because he hoped to be Napoléon's heir in France- Joseph has no son. But given that both his daughters married cousins OTL, I could see him pushing for a match between one and Louis Sebastien.

 

[Dragonboy]

if things go as OTL, the boy will be heir to the kingdom of Italy. Even if Joseph accepts the offer of the Italian throne- he refused OTL because he hoped to be Napoléon's heir in France- Joseph has no son. But given that both his daughters married cousins OTL, I could see him pushing for a match between one and Louis Sebastien.

And to give his second son more support Napoleon will make sure joseph stays in naples.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

And to give his second son more support Napoleon will make sure joseph stays in naples.

Joseph got the Neapolitan throne because he declined the Italian one, if he's king of Italy (he has no option to refuse TTL), then he never goes to Naples.

@isabella can correct me but the presence of sons for Napoléon shakes up the whole line-up of the Bonaparte marriages:

Hortense will not marry Louis since Nappy has not one but two heirs. So she might get a happier marriage- not sure to who- but the hilarity of her being second wife of Francesco I of Naples or first wife of Fernando VII of Spain is too delicious.
Eugène might get Maria Amelia of Naples (OTL Mme Louis Philippe) as was originally considered for him.
Louis likely gets paired with the Dowager Queen of Etruria when Lucien refuses (Napoléon may also accept Lucien's remarriage with a lesser outburst than OTL- not because he approves but because he doesn't need Lucien to make the match he did OTL. Although the pair probably still fall out).
Jéröme of Westphalia's marriage might happen as OTL (perhaps he gets Holland instead of Westphalia*)
Napoléon might remain a widower for a few years, with two sons, despite infant mortality, provided he never has reason to doubt their paternity, two sons would be "enough". Not guarantee, but "enough" to give him no reason to remarry until he becomes emperor. Ironically, he may take Talleyrand up on the suggestion to marry Auguste Amalie of Bavaria himself (Talleyrand was already encouraging Napoléon to set Josephine aside before the coronation).

*it was why Jérôme was passed over for the crown of Spain OTL. Napoléon knew the Spanish would never accept a Protestant queen. Likely he isn't so stupid as to force Louis married to a Spanish infanta on Holland.

 

[isabella]

Joseph got the Neapolitan throne because he declined the Italian one, if he's king of Italy (he has no option to refuse TTL), then he never goes to Naples.

I doubt who here Joseph would be taken in consideration for Italy, who will go to Napoleon’s second son

@isabella can correct me but the presence of sons for Napoléon shakes up the whole line-up of the Bonaparte marriages:

Hortense will not marry Louis since Nappy has not one but two heirs. So she might get a happier marriage- not sure to who- but the hilarity of her being second wife of Francesco I of Naples or first wife of Fernando VII of Spain is too delicious.

Hortense would be married to someone in Napoléon’s circle here (possibly Duroc as she wanted OTL). Only if she is widowed she would remarry in higher circles

Eugène might get Maria Amelia of Naples (OTL Mme Louis Philippe) as was originally considered for him.

Unlikely as the match failed OTL because Maria Carolina was totally against it

Louis likely gets paired with the Dowager Queen of Etruria when Lucien refuses (Napoléon may also accept Lucien's remarriage with a lesser outburst than OTL- not because he approves but because he doesn't need Lucien to make the match he did OTL. Although the pair probably still fall out).
Jéröme of Westphalia's marriage might happen as OTL (perhaps he gets Holland instead of Westphalia*)

agreed

Napoléon might remain a widower for a few years, with two sons, despite infant mortality, provided he never has reason to doubt their paternity, two sons would be "enough". Not guarantee, but "enough" to give him no reason to remarry until he becomes emperor. Ironically, he may take Talleyrand up on the suggestion to marry Auguste Amalie of Bavaria himself (Talleyrand was already encouraging Napoléon to set Josephine aside before the coronation).

Agreed. And if Napoleon has already two sons I doubt who the Spanish would offer infanta Isabella for him. Still I doubt who a Napoleon with already two sons would get a match with a major princess

*it was why Jérôme was passed over for the crown of Spain OTL. Napoléon knew the Spanish would never accept a Protestant queen. Likely he isn't so stupid as to force Louis married to a Spanish infanta on Holland.

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

if things go as OTL, the boy will be heir to the kingdom of Italy.

Heir to some subsidiary title is very much not heir to the Empire.

In any case, it will be impossible for Napoleon to make a "dynastic" marriage until he is Emperor. No royal house would marry one of their daughters to a commoner - nor to a "republican". And he would have no inheritable position for his child.

So if Josephine dies in 1798, Napoleon either waits several years to marry, or marries a French woman, probably a commoner.

If he has children by a second wife, that will be... interesting, due to the tension between his elder sons' maternal half-siblings and paternal half-siblings.

 

[GuildedAgeNostalgia]

Princess Karoline of Hesse-Kassel?

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Heir to some subsidiary title is very much not heir to the Empire.

The kingdom of Italy wasn't a subsidiary title. It was an independent state that functioned in personal union with the Napoléonic Empire. Per the founding statutes, the kingdom was to part ways with the French empire when Napoléon died- passing to either his second son or (if he didn't have one)- to Eugène de Beauharnais. It was very specific that it could not- at any point- be held in union with the empire (this was why Joseph didn't want it OTL, Napoléon's acceptance of the crown was made a once-off).

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

The kingdom of Italy wasn't a subsidiary title. It was an independent state that functioned in personal union with the Napoléonic Empire. Per the founding statutes, the kingdom was to part ways with the French empire when Napoléon died- passing to either his second son or (if he didn't have one)- to Eugène de Beauharnais. It was very specific that it could not- at any point- be held in union with the empire (this was why Joseph didn't want it OTL, Napoléon's acceptance of the crown was made a once-off).

Because that's how Napoleon wanted it at the time. If he decides to change it, who argues with him? Call it a secondary or satellite title, it's part of the "et cetera", and much less attractive than the imperial dignity. I would further note that ITTL, Napoleon has two sons, so any son of the second marriage is third in line for goodies.