Alexandre Florian Joseph, Count Colonna-Walewski (; ; 4 May 181027 September 1868), also Count of the Empire, was a Polish and French politician and

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

, the unacknowledged son of French emperor

Napoleon I 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 is best known for his position as foreign minister of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

under his cousin

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

and for his diplomatic efforts presiding over the Congress of Paris, which created peace in the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

and laid the base for modern international

law of the sea Law of the sea (or ocean law) is a body of international law governing the rights and duties of State (polity), states in Ocean, maritime environments. It concerns matters such as navigational rights, sea mineral claims, and coastal waters juris ...

with the Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law.

Early years

''Alexandre Florian Joseph Colonna Walewski'' was born on May 4, 1810, at Walewice, near Warsaw, to Countess

Maria Walewska Marie Walewska, Countess Walewska (; ; 7 December 1786 – 11 December 1817) was a Polish noblewoman in the court of Napoleon I who used her influence to sway the emperor towards the creation of an independent Polish state. In her later years ...

, the Polish noblewoman and mistress of

Napoleon Bonaparte 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 ...

. His mother conceived him while residing near

Schönbrunn Palace Schönbrunn Palace (Austrian German, German: Schloss Schönbrunn ) was the main summer residence of the House of Habsburg, Habsburg rulers, located in Hietzing, the 13th district of Vienna. The name ''Schönbrunn'' (meaning "beautiful spring") ha ...

in Vienna, where Napoleon was temporarily staying. When Marie requested to give birth in Paris, Napoleon insisted she return to her husband's estate in Poland. Count Athanasius Walewski, nearly eighty years old at the time, legally recognized the child as his own. Later in life, Alexandre would write:"My birth was accompanied by lightning and thunder, and it was predicted that my life would be stormy and even life-changing. To satisfy an old family prejudice, I was held at the font by two beggars, which was supposed to bring me luck..." In 2013, published scholarship comparing

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

haplotype A haplotype (haploid genotype) is a group of alleles in an organism that are inherited together from a single parent. Many organisms contain genetic material (DNA) which is inherited from two parents. Normally these organisms have their DNA orga ...

evidence taken from Emperor Napoleon, from his brother King Jérôme Bonaparte's descendant Charles, Prince Napoléon and from Colonna-Walewski's descendant indicated Alexandre's membership in the genetic male-line of the imperial

House of Bonaparte The House of Bonaparte (originally ''Buonaparte'') is a former imperial and royal European dynasty of French and Italian origin. It was founded in 1804 by Napoleon I, the son of Corsican nobleman Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Buonaparte (née ...

. Upon hearing of Alexandre's birth while in Belgium with his new bride, Empress

Marie Louise Marie Louise or Marie-Louise is a French feminine given name, compound given name. In other languages, it may take one of several alternate forms: * Maria Luiza (Bulgarian, Portuguese) * Maria Luisa (Italian, Spanish) * Maria Luise (German) * Mari ...

, Napoleon sent an affectionate message and a gift of Brussels laces to Marie Walewska congratulating the birth of the child. Despite the ending of their affair when he married Marie Louise Napoleon ensured Marie and their son were well provided for, granting them a residence in Rue de Montmorency in Paris along with a significant pension of 120,000 francs. According to Napoleon's valet, Constant, Napoleon was deeply moved by the boy's resemblance to him. Constant recorded:

"She was delivered of a son who bore a striking resemblance to His Majesty. This was a great joy for the Emperor. Hastening to her as soon as it was possible for him to get away from the chateau, he took the child in his arms, and embracing it as he had just embraced the mother, he said to him: I will make thee a count."

On May 5, 1812, Napoleon officially decreed Alexandre a “Count of the French Empire” and bestowed upon him lands in the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...

. The young Alexandre's endowment included sixty-nine farms generating an annual income of 169,516 francs. On June 15, while in

Königsberg Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...

Napoleon signed letters patent confirming Alexandre's title, and his new coat of arms combined the insignias of the Walewski and Laczynski families. While in Paris, his mother Marie Walewska became close friends with the former Empress Joséphine frequently visiting her at Malmaison. Joséphine, who had no children with Napoleon, lavished Marie and young Alexandre with kindness and gifts. Following Napoleon's abdication in 1814, Marie took four-year-old Alexandre to the island of

Elba Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...

. Many islanders mistook Marie Walewska for Empress Marie Louise and Alexandre for the

King of Rome The king of Rome () was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom, a legendary period of Roman history that functioned as an elective monarchy. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine H ...

. During their stay, Napoleon played games with the boy and shared affectionate moments. Napoleon reportedly asked Alexandre:

“ I hear you don't mention my name in your prayers." Alexandre admitted he did not, but he did remember to say "Papa Empereur." Amused, Napoleon remarked, "He'll be a great social success, this boy: he's got wit."

Napoleon's physician, Foureau de Beauregard, later wrote to Alexandre, recalling:"You are that pretty little Alexandre that I saw, almost twenty-nine years ago, on the Emperor's lap near the Madonna delle Grazie on the island of Elba." However, with Empress Marie Louise expected to visit, Napoleon discreetly arranged for Marie and Alexandre to leave the island to avoid scandal. In early 1815, they returned to Paris before Napoleon departed for the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition (), marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII o ...

campaign. After his defeat at Waterloo, Marie Walewska and Alexandre were present at Malmaison to bid farewell to Napoleon before his exile to

Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

. Years later, Alexandre reminisced:

I can still see the Emperor... every single feature of his face.... He took me in his arms and I remember a tear ran down his face..But I cannot recall what exactly he said to me on that occasion.

In his final will, Napoleon mentioned both Alexandre and his half-brother, Charles Léon, stating: :"Would not be displeased if little Léon were to enter the judiciary, if that appeals to him. I would like Alexandre Walewski to enter the service of France as a soldier.” On September 7, 1816, Marie Walewska married Napoleon's cousin,

Philippe Antoine d'Ornano Philippe Antoine d'Ornano, Comte d'Ornano (; 17 January 1784 – 13 October 1863) was a French soldier and politician who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was made a Marshal of France in 1861. Early life D'Orna ...

, who had been exiled in Brussels for supporting Napoleon during the Hundred Days. Alexandre and his younger half-brother, Antoine, remained in Paris under the care of Marie's trusted friend, M. Carite. The family later moved to

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

, where Marie gave birth to another son, Rodolphe, in 1817. Marie passed away on December 11, 1817. In her will, she entrusted the care of Alexandre and Antoine to her brother Theodore Łaczyński while their half brother Rodolphe stayed with his father. Łaczyński took the boys to Kiernozia in Poland. Alexandre’s uncle would teach them of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic campaigns and of Emperor Napoleon and his court. Expressing his dream to take them to Saint Helena when they were older. To give them an education, Łaczyński would send them to

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, where they studied under a tutor with strong republican and anti-Napoleon views. Łaczyński concerned about this influence, placed them instead in a Jesuit college, where Alexandre made his first communion. In 1820, at the age of ten, Alexandre left Poland for

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, where he attended boarding school for four years. At Aged fourteen, Walewski refused to join the

Imperial Russian army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

and fled to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, thence to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where the French government refused Tsar Alexander I's demands for his extradition to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. Upon the accession of Louis-Philippe d'Orléans to the French throne in 1830, Walewski was dispatched to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, later the same year being entrusted by the leaders of the Polish

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...

of 1830 as a diplomatic envoy to the

Court of St James's The Court of St James's serves as the official royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The court formally receives all ambassadors accredited to the United Kingdom. Likewise, ambassadors representing the United Kingdom are formally ...

. After the Fall of Warsaw, he took out letters of French

naturalization Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...

and joined the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

, being in action in

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

as a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the ''

Chasseurs d'Afrique ''Chasseur'' ( , ), a French language, French term for "hunter", is the designation given to certain regiments of France, French and Belgium, Belgian light infantry () or light cavalry () to denote troops trained for rapid action. History T ...

'' of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

. In 1837 he resigned his

commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

to begin writing plays and working as a journalist for

the press ''The Press'' () is a daily newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand, owned by media business Stuff (company), Stuff Ltd. First published in 1861, the newspaper is the largest circulating daily in the South Island and publishes Monday t ...

. He is said to have collaborated with the elder Dumas on ''Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle'' and a comedy of his, ''L'Ecole du monde'', was produced at the '' Theâtre Français'' in 1840.

Diplomatic career

Later that year the prime minister of France Thiers, also a man of letters, became patron to one of Walewski's papers, '' Le Messager des Chambres'', before sending him on a mission to

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. Under Guizot's government Walewski was posted to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

to liaise with the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

, John Cradock, 1st Baron Howden. Prince Louis Napoleon's accession to power in France as Napoleon III furthered his career with postings as envoy extraordinary to

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

, and the Kingdom of the Two-Sicilies before

(1851–55), where he was charged with announcing the ''

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

'' to the prime minister,

Lord Palmerston Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865), known as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman and politician who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1855 to 1858 and from 1859 to 1865. A m ...

. In 1855, Walewski succeeded Drouyn de Lhuys as

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

and he acted as President of, and French

plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of a sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word can als ...

at, the Congress of Paris the following year, leading to peace in the

and to the Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law. The latter treaty did contain an important novelty in

international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...

, creating the possibility for nations that were not involved in the establishment of the agreement, to become a party by acceding to the Declaration afterwards. As foreign minister, Walewski advocated a de-escalating strategy towards Russia, known as ''entente'', opposing his emperor's strategy in Italy which led to war with

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

in 1859. After leaving the Foreign Ministry in 1860 he became

Minister of State Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...

, an office which he held until 1863. He served as

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

from 1855 to 1865, before being appointed to the ''

Corps Législatif The was a part of the French legislature during the French Revolution and beyond. It is also the generic French term used to refer to any legislative body. History Under Napoleon's Consulate, the Constitution of the Year VIII (1799) set up ...

'' in 1865 and as

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

by the Emperor, who returned him to the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

after a revolt against his authority two years later. Walewski was made a

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

of the Empire ''ad personam'' in 1866, was elected a

member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of the ''

Académie des beaux-arts The (; ) is a French learned society based in Paris. It is one of the five academies of the . The current president of the academy (2021) is Alain-Charles Perrot, a French architect. Background The academy was created in 1816 in Paris as a me ...

'', appointed Grand-Cross of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour and made a

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

og the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

, also receiving the Gold Cross of ''

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...

''. Alexandre Colonna-Walewski died of a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

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 ...

on 27 September 1868 and is buried at

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

Descendants

He married firstly in London on 1 December 1831 Lady Catherine Montagu (London, 7 October 1808 – Paris, 30 April 1834), daughter of George Montagu, 6th Earl of Sandwich, by his wife Lady Louisa Lowry-Corry. Following her death in

childbirth Childbirth, also known as labour, parturition and delivery, is the completion of pregnancy, where one or more Fetus, fetuses exits the Womb, internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section and becomes a newborn to ...

, he married secondly, on 4 June 1846 in Florence, Maria Anna di Ricci (Florence, 18 July 1823 - Paris, 18 November 1912), daughter of the

Papal Count The papal nobility are the aristocracy of the Holy See, composed of persons holding titles bestowed by the Pope. From the Middle Ages into the nineteenth century, the papacy held direct temporal power in the Papal States, and many titles of papal ...

Zanobi di Ricci by his wife Princess Isabella Poniatowski. He also fathered a son by the actress Rachel Felix in 1844. He had seven children, two from his first marriage, four from his second marriage, and one with a woman he was not married to. *By Lady Catherine Montagu, daughter of 6th Earl of Sandwich (both died young): **Louise-Marie Colonna-Walewska (14 December 1832 - 1833). **''Count'' Georges-Édouard-Auguste Colonna-Walewski (Paris, 30 April 1834 - Paris, 9 May 1835). *By Maria Anna di Ricci (1823–1912): **Isabelle Colonna-Walewski (

, 12 May 1847 – Buenos Aires, 2 July 1847; it is believed that she is buried in

La Recoleta Cemetery La Recoleta Cemetery () is a cemetery located in the Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Recoleta Barrios and Communes of Buenos Aires, neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, President of Ar ...

). ** Count Charles-Zanobi-Rodolphe Colonna-Walewski (Florence, 4 June 1848 –

killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

Villers-Cotterêts Villers-Cotterêts () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France, France. It is notable as the signing-place in 1539 of the '' Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts'' discontinuing the use of Latin in official French documents, and as ...

, 2 October 1916), married in

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

, 10 August 1952); no children. **Élise Colonna-Walewski (Florence, 15 December 1849 – Paris, 14 March 1927) married in Paris on 10 October 1871 Félix, Count of Bourqueney (

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, 25 April 1847 - La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, 17 June 1912); leaving issue. **Eugénie Colonna-Walewski (Paris, 30 March 1856 –

Arcachon Arcachon (; ) is a commune in the southwestern French department of Gironde. It is a popular seaside resort on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest. It has a sandy beach and a mild climate said to be favourable for p ...

, 22 December 1884), married in Paris on 15 July 1875 Frédéric, Count Mathéus ( Écouis, 20 July 1846 - Paris, 25 February 1929); leaving issue. *By Rachel Felix (1821–1858): **Count Alexandre-Antoine-Jean Colonna-Walewski (

Marly-le-Roi Marly-le-Roi () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the administrative region of Île-de-France, France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Marly-le-Roi was the location of the Château de Marly, ...

, 3 November 1844 –

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, 20 August 1898), recognized in 1844 and adopted by Walewski in 1860;

Consul General A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

of France; married in Paris on 17 November 1868 Jeanne-Claire-Marie Sala (Paris, 26 May 1845 -

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

, 22 January 1881); has numerous surviving descendants.

Ancestry

Honours

* : Knight of the Golden Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari (3 March 1831) * : Knight of the Cross of Honor and Devotion of the Knights of Malta * : Grand Ribbon of the Imperial Order of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

* : Grand Officer of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honor * : Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honor * : Great Ribbon of the Order of the Danebrog * : Grand Ribbon of the Order of Saint Januarius * : Grand Ribbon of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

* : Grand Ribbon of the Order of St. Joseph * : Grand Ribbon of the Order of Vila Viçosa * : Grand Ribbon of the Order of the Medjids * : Great Ribbon of the Order of the Savior * : Grand Ribbon of the Order of St. Hubert * : Grand Ribbon of the Order of St. Stefan * : Great Ribbon of the

Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim (; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is the highest order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Sweden. It was created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the ...

* : Grand Ribbon of the

Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands (, ) is a Dutch honours system, Dutch order of chivalry founded by William I of the Netherlands on 29 September 1815. The Order of the Netherlands Lion wa ...

* : Great Ribbon of the Order of Fidelity * : Grand Ribbon of the Order of Leopold * : Great Ribbon of the

Order of the Black Eagle The Order of the Black Eagle () was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I of Prussia, Friedrich I, King in Prussia, the ...

* : Grand Ribbon of the Order of St. Anna

Works

*''Un mot sur la question d'Afrique'', Paris 1837 *''L'Alliance Anglaise'', Paris 1838 *''L'École du Monde, ou la Coquette sans le savoir'' (comedy), Paris 1840

References

*Simon Konarski, ''Armorial de la noblesse polonaise titrée'', Paris 1958 *''Nouvelle Biographie Générale'', Tome 46, Paris 1866

External links

Walewski.org
Walewski family foundation * , Genealogy entry

Photograph

at

Newberry Library The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, and has been free and open to the public since 1887. The Newberry's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of our wo ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colonna-Walewski, Alexandre 1810 births 1868 deaths People from Łowicz County Counts of Poland Counts Colonna-Walewski Princes Colonna-Walewski 19th-century French diplomats Foreign ministers of France Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Ambassadors of France to the United Kingdom November Uprising participants Polish emigrants to France Officers of the French Foreign Legion Illegitimate children of Napoleon Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Gold Cross of the Virtuti Militari Knights of Malta Alexandre State ministers of France Sons of emperors Sons of kings Polish people of the Napoleonic Wars