Walewska, Maria (1786-1817)

Walewska, Maria

NOBLEMAN, ROYAL MISTRESS (POLAND)

BORN 7 Dec 1786, Kiernozia - DIED 11 Dec 1817, Paris
BIRTH NAME Laczynska, Maria
CAUSE OF DEATH kidney ilness
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 67, chemin d’Ornano, ligne 01 (only the heart))

Maria Laczynska was born into a noble family in Kiernozia. Her father was the landowner Mateusz Laczynski. One of her tutors was Nicholas Chopin, the father of Frédéric Chopin. In 1794 her father was killed in the Battle of Maciejowice. To help her mother and her six siblings she married the rich Athenasius, Count Colonna-Walewski in 1805. He was 49 years her senior. They had one son, Antoni Rudolf Bazyli Colonna-Walewski, but he may have been conceived shortly before the marriage.

In 1806 she first met Napoleon in Blonie or in Jablonna. They met again in Warsaw. She was reluctant to become his mistress, but his aide General Géraud Duroc advised her to give in because Napoleon might help Poland against Prussia, Austria and Russia. In her memoirs she claimed that it was a sacrifice. Although the affair was officially a secret, many people knew about it. She followed him to Finckenstein Pallace in East Prussia. In 1809 she also followed him to Vienna where she lived near Schönbrunn Palace. In Vienna she became pregnant and she returned to Walewice to give birth to a son, Alexandre Joseph. He was the son of Napoleon but count Athenasius recognised him. In 1810 she joined Napoleon in Paris, where she lived in the Rue de Montmorency. Her relationship with Napoleon ended since Napoleon was planning to divorce Joséphine and marry Marie-Louise of Austria.

In 1812 she divorced count Colonna-Walewski. At the time of Napoleon's first abdication in 1814 she travelled to Fontainebleau. She waited during the night to meet him, but by the time Napoleon remembered her presence she had left. In September 1814 she visited him on Elba, bringing their son. After the 100 Days she visited him once more at Malmaison. She was so agitated that Hortense de Beauharnais invited her for lunch to prevent that she would be seen in tears.

In 1816 she married her lover Philippe Antoine d'Ornano. They settled in Liège because of d'Ornano's Napoleontic past. In 1817 their son Rudolph Augustus was born. She died shortly afterwards in Pairs from a kidney illness. She was first buried at Père Lachaise, but her body was exhumed and moved to the family crypt in Kiernozia. Her heart is interred in the Ornano mausoleum in Père Lachaise.

Related persons
• was a friend of Beauharnais, Joséphine de
• was painted by Gérard, François
• was the lover of Napoleon I Bonaparte

Events

21/5/1809

The Austrians defeat the French near Aspern. The battle took place on 21 and 22 May. Karl, Duke of Teschen commanded the Austrians in their biggest succes against the Napoleontic troops. It was said that Napoleon, who stayed at the Lobau Isle in the Donau river, afterwards conceived a son with his mistress Maria Walewska. The Austrians soon lost their advantage during the Battle of Wagram. Karl was hunoured as big hero and received a statue in Vienna. [Karl, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Teschen][Lannes, Jean, Duc de Montebello][Masséna, André, duc de Rivoli, prince d'Essling]

1/9/1814

Maria Walewska and her son Alexandre arrive on Elba to visit Napoleon. She visited Napoleon for a few days. Alexandra was their son. Napoleon took her to the Madonna del Monte santuary, a place where liked to relax. She and Napoleon spent to days together. Ater two days she left discretely. [Napoleon I Bonaparte]