Joséphine de Leuchtenberg

The princess Joséphine de Leuchtenberg (Joséphine Maximilienne Eugenie Napoléone) (born the March 14th 1807 and deceased the June 7th 1876) was a member of the family Beauharnais, become queen consort of Sweden and Norway.

Biography

Joséphine was born the March 14th 1807 with Milan. His/her father, the viceroy Eugene of Italy, was the son of the Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais and of the empress Joséphine de Beauharnais. His/her mother, the princess Augusta of Bavaria, was the girl of the king Maximilien Ier of Bavaria and of the princess Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt.

The December 29th 1807, it was made princess of Bologna , and the May 28th 1813, it was made duchess of Galliera . The November 14th 1817, king Maximilien Ier of Bavaria granted to the father of Joséphine the dignity of duke of Leuchtenberg and prince d' Eichstätt with the name of Royal Altesse for him and of Sérénissime Highness for her children, of which Joséphine.

The May 22nd 1823, Joséphine married by procuration the prince Oscar of Sweden and Norway to Munich. The true ceremony took place later one month, the June 19th with Stockholm. By his/her mother, Joséphine went down from the king Gustave Ier of Sweden, making his/her own children the descendants of the Maison of Vasa (prince Oscar, husband of Joséphine, came from a French family, the Bernadotte, and his/her father the king Charles XIV Jean of Sweden was placed on the Swedish throne “a little by chance”).

Six days after its arrival in Sweden, its fourth first name, Napoléone, was removed, because the Sweden had recently fought against the France in the war of 1813 - 1814. Joséphine brought with it several jewels of great value made to Paris for his/her paternal grandmother.

Joséphine liked to garden and paint, and was implied in many caritative works. Although enthusiastic Catholic, it agree to raise his/her children in the faith Lutheran. Oscar and Joséphine had five children:

the prince Carl, born the May 3rd 1826 and deceased the August 19th 1872, future king de Suède and of Norway
the prince Gustaf, born the June 18th 1827 and deceased the September 24th 1852
the prince Oscar, born the January 21st 1829 and deceased the December 8th 1907, future king de Suède (1872 - 1907) and of Norway (1872 - 1905)
the princess Eugenie, born the April 24th 1830 and deceased the April 23rd 1889
the prince August, born the August 24th 1831 and deceased the March 4th 1873

After the death of king Charles XIV Jean of Sweden the March 8th 1844, prince Oscar goes up on the throne under the name of Oscar Ier. Joséphine becomes thus the queen Josefina .

Godmother of the Prince Impérial, wire of her first cousin the emperor Napoleon III of the French, it is made represent with the baptism by the princess Stéphanie de Beauharnais.

Joséphine dies out the June 7th 1876 with Stockholm, the age of sixty-nine years, and will be buried according to the rite Catholique like his/her mother-in-law, the queen Désirée of Sweden. Its last words were: “ I return to the house now, I am very happy ”.

It is the ancestor of the current sovereigns of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, of Luxembourg and the ex-queen of Greece.

Titles

the Joséphine princess of Bologna (1807 - 1813)
the Joséphine princess of Bologna, duchess of Galliera (1813 - 1817)
Its Highness Sérénissime the princess Joséphine de Leuchtenberg (1817 - 1823)
Its Royal Highness the princess heiress of Sweden and Norway (1823 - 1844)
Its Majesty the queen of Sweden and Norway (1844 - 1859)
Its Majesty the queen dowager of Sweden and Norway (1859 - 1876)

House of Beauharnais

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Joséphine de Leuchtenberg

Biography

Titles

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