… all brothers were born in Corsica around the time it was invaded by France. The parents swore allegiance to France, and Joseph served in the “Cinq-Cents” and was French Ambassador to Rome. In 1795, he was on the Council of Ancients which helped his brother Napoleon I to overthrow …
The Silhouettes staff is in various stages of development for 4 projects. Watch the progress of design and research on the web pages for each of these 4 women under Projects in Development!
…Jerome Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, and his wife Elizabeth “Betsy” Patterson of Baltimore were separated when Betsy sailed to France. Denied entrance by Napoleon, she had her child in England. That son, Charles Joseph Bonaparte, in 1905 became the Secretary of Navy for the United States under President Roosevelt. In …
.. at Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. She was finally accepted fully into French society as “one of theirs” and highly celebrated. (Betsy married Napoleon’s eldest brother, and was the connection between French royals and American elites). In the meantime, Jerome had married Catherine of Wurttemburg (previously discussed in detail). (portraits: …
Get your 1905 costume from Silhouettes!
Silhouettes builds costumes depicting American women 1740-1814. Picture the world in the middle of that, say 1804 as understood by a German in the map below: The new United States had been a colony of England. The West Indies were part of England. India, and many African countries were part …
.. when her husband Jerome deserted her under the orders of Napoleon, a pregnant Betsy sailed to France. Napoleon forbid her landing on French soil. The divorce was finally complete in 1815; in the meantime, Betsy lived in Baltimore, Maryland, USA with her father, where she managed his estates and …
.. back to Napoleon 1st’s little brother Jerome… history (and we) forgot he married Elizabeth “Betsy” Patterson in 1803! She was the daughter of the richest man in Baltimore at the time; the closest Americans had to “nobility” or “upper class”. He was a French naval officer stationed in the …
.. she did not participate in politics, was loyal to her uncle even after his fall, but was a huge French gossip. The French loved her for it. She married a Roman prince in 1815, thus the Gabrielli title. He was part of an ancient Catholic family. She retained the …
.. almost married Napoleon 1st in 1809. She was his niece. The problem was her step-mother and father had begun an insurrection against Napoleon, and fled to the United States. Napoleon still liked her though, and when he was restored to the throne, he gave her the title of French …
