Princess Augusta of Bavaria, Duchess of Leuchtenberg () (21 June 1788 in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

– 13 May 1851 in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

) was the second child and eldest daughter of

Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria Maximilian I Joseph (; 27 May 1756 – 13 October 1825) was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1795 to 1799, prince-elector of Bavaria (as Maximilian IV Joseph) from 1799 to 1806, then King of Bavaria (as Maximilian I Joseph) from 1806 to 1825. He was ...

and Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt. By marriage, she was a French princess and vicereine of Italy. She was the aunt of

Empress Elisabeth of Austria Elisabeth (born Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria; 24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898), nicknamed Sisi or Sissi, was Empress of Austria and List of Hungarian consorts, Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Franz Joseph I of Austri ...

and, by marriage, of Emperor Napoleon III.

Early life

Augusta Amalia of Bavaria was the eldest daughter of

and Princess Augusta Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt. In 1795, upon the death of her uncle, her father Maximilian became the reigning duke of

Zweibrücken Zweibrücken (; ; , ; literally translated as "Two Bridges") is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach (Blies), Schwarzbach River. Name The name ''Zweibrücken'' means 'two bridges'; older forms of the name include Middl ...

, but the troops of the young

First French Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted u ...

occupied his States. Augusta lost her mother to

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

in 1796; a year later, her father married the young Caroline of Baden, who imposed a seriousness on her husband's court that some considered beneficial. At first, Augusta did not like her stepmother, unlike her younger siblings Karl Theodore and Charlotte, as she was still attached to her late mother; however, Augusta and Caroline's relationship improved over time. In 1799, upon the death of his distant cousin Charles Theodore, Maximilian became count-elector, Palatine of the Rhine and Duke-Elector of Bavaria as Maximilian III.

Marriage and issue

Although promised in marriage to the heir of

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

; originally, the engagement was broken at the behest of

Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. He was trying to ally himself with German princes and organized a double marriage: between Augusta and

Eugène de Beauharnais Eugène Rose de Beauharnais (; 3 September 1781 – 21 February 1824) was a French statesman and military officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Through the second marriage of his mother, Joséphine de Beauharnais, ...

, the only son of Josephine de Beauharnais and

Alexandre, vicomte de Beauharnais Alexandre François Marie, Viscount of Beauharnais (; 28 May 1760 – 23 July 1794) was a French politician and general of the French Revolution. He was the first husband of Joséphine Tascher de La Pagerie, who later married Napoleon Bonaparte ...

, and stepson of Napoleon, and between Charles of Baden and

Stéphanie de Beauharnais Stéphanie Louise Adrienne de Beauharnais (28 August 1789 – 29 January 1860) was a French princess and the Grand Duchess consort of Baden by marriage to Karl, Grand Duke of Baden. Biography Early life Born in Versailles at the beginning of the ...

, Eugène's cousin, who the emperor had adopted and raised with the dignity of an imperial princess. In return, Napoleon raised Bavaria from a state to a Kingdom. The marriage of Augusta of Bavaria and Eugene took place between 13 and 14 January 1806. Napoleon attended the wedding. The couple left for Milan the next day,^4 because Eugene had been named viceroy of Italy by his stepfather. Although a diplomatic marriage, this union would turn out to be a happy one. In 1814, the French Empire fell. Eugene, Augusta, and their children took refuge with the King of Bavaria. In 1817, Augusta's father named his son-in-law Duke of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstädt, with the style ''

Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Kings and their female consorts, as well as queens regnant, are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of a ...

''. Eugène died young in 1824. A Catholic, Bavarian princess, the Dowager Duchess of Leuchtenberg opposed in vain the marriage of her younger son, Maximilian, to the eldest daughter of the Tsar of Russia. The Grand Duchess was orthodox and the marriage was unequal, Maximilian not being of royal blood. At the Tsar's demand, the young couple lived in St. Petersburg. Augusta and Eugène had seven children: * Princess Joséphine Maximiliane Eugénie Napoléonne de Beauharnais (14 March 1807 – 7 June 1876); married

Oscar I of Sweden Oscar I (born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte; 4 July 1799 – 8 July 1859) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway from 8 March 1844 until his death. He was the second monarch of the House of Bernadotte. The only child of Ki ...

, himself the son of Napoleon's old love, Désirée Clary. * Princess Eugénie Hortense Auguste de Beauharnais (22 December 1808 – 1 September 1847); married Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. * Prince Auguste Charles Eugène Napoléon de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg (9 December 1810 – 28 March 1835); married

Maria II of Portugal Dona Maria II (Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Habsburgo-Lorena e Bragança; 4 April 1819 – 15 November 1853) also known as "the Educator" () or as ...

. There was no issue from this marriage. * Princess Amélie Auguste Eugénie Napoléone de Beauharnais (31 July 1812 – 26 January 1873); married

Pedro I of Brazil ''Don (honorific), Dom'' Pedro I (12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), known in Brazil and in Portugal as "the Liberator" () or "the Soldier King" () in Portugal, was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of ...

(father of

and

Pedro II of Brazil ''Don (honorific), Dom'' PedroII (Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga; 2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed the Magnanimous (), was the List o ...

) and became Empress of Brazil. * Princess Theodelinde Louise Eugénie Auguste Napoléone de Beauharnais (13 April 1814 – 1 April 1857); married Wilhelm, 1st Duke of Urach. * Princess ''Carolina'' Clotilde de Beauharnais (15 January 1816 – 25 January 1816) * Prince Maximilian Josèphe Eugène Auguste Napoléon de Beauharnais (2 October 1817 – 1 November 1852); married Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna of Russia, eldest daughter of

Nicholas I of Russia Nicholas I, group=pron (Russian language, Russian: Николай I Павлович; – ) was Emperor of Russia, List of rulers of Partitioned Poland#Kings of the Kingdom of Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 18 ...

and received the title of "Prince Romanovsky" with the style "

Imperial Highness Imperial Highness is a form of address used for members of an imperial family. It denotes ''imperial'' – as opposed to ''royal'' – status to show that the holder in question is descended from an emperor rather than a king (compare His ...

" in 1852.

Death

Augusta had outlived her husband and three of her children by the time she died in 1851 at the age of 62 in

. At that time, France's president was her nephew Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, the son of Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland, the sister of Prince Eugène.

Gallery

Image: 1788auguste-amalie1.jpg, A young Princess Augusta. Image: The-marriage-of-eugene-de-beauharnais-francois-guillaume-menageot.jpg, Augusta's marriage to Eugène de Beauharnais, by François Guillaume Menageot Image: Andrea Appiani - Auguste Amalie de Beauharnais, Vizekönigin von Italien, mit ihren Töchtern Josephine und Eugenie 1809.jpg, Augusta with her daughters Joséphine and Eugénie Image: Wittelsbachergruft - St. Michael - Auguste von Bayern.jpg, Tomb of Augusta of Bavaria

Honours

* : Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Isabel, ''1 December 1834''

Ancestry

References

External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Augusta of Bavaria, Princess 1788 births 1851 deaths House of Wittelsbach Bavarian princesses House of Beauharnais Dames of the Order of Saint Isabel Duchesses of Leuchtenberg Burials at St. Michael's Church, Munich Daughters of kings Daughters of dukes Daughters of prince-electors