The romance between Maria Walewska and Napoleon Bonaparte remains shrouded in legends, mysteries, and conjectures to this day. Historians are invariably interested in this couple, but theories about their relationship vary and are often even contradictory. Was Maria in love with the great emperor, or did she perhaps see political benefits in him? Did her decisions result from genuine infatuation, patriotism, or perhaps a desire to get close to an extremely influential man? We will try to answer all these questions.
Marriage Without Love
On December 7, 1786, Maria Łączyńska was born in the vicinity of Łowicz. As a not-quite eighteen-year-old, she became pregnant by a Russian officer. The young girl’s family did not consent to this union, so another candidate for husband had to be found. The matter was quite pressing, as it concerned the family’s honor. The girl could not give birth without having a husband. This is precisely how Maria’s marriage to 70-year-old Anastazy Walewski came about.
Walewski’s financial situation was not the best at that moment, so the girl’s dowry was very necessary to him. One can say they helped each other. For both parties, this marriage was very beneficial. In those times, arranged unions were nothing strange. Political and financial benefits or family honor were much more important than love.
For the first three years, Maria fulfilled her marital duties without reproach. She gave birth to a son who received Anastazy’s surname. Everything was to change in 1807, when Napoleon Bonaparte came to Warsaw. The emperor was enchanted by the young girl’s beauty.
Romance with the Great Emperor
There is no certainty as to how Maria met Napoleon, but it is very likely that their first meeting took place at a Warsaw ball in the Royal Castle. Poles placed great hopes in Napoleon. It was believed that he could help in the rebirth of a free homeland. A romance with a young Polish woman could be very politically beneficial.
We learn much from Maria Walewska’s memoirs, though many historians approach this information with great reserve. The girl recounted the first meeting with the emperor, which was supposedly rape. She justified entering into a romance with Napoleon through concern for Poland and political pressure. Much indicates that this relationship may have been carefully planned.
Still other historians claim that this romance was very convenient for Maria. Napoleon was a great emperor and respected man. A close relationship with such a man could be an honor and reason for pride.
Did Maria herself, therefore, want the romance with Napoleon? It is certain that the emperor immediately noticed a beautiful woman in her.
Romance That Does Not Last Forever
Undoubtedly, Napoleon felt affection for Maria, but as he himself claimed, it was not love. Moreover, throughout his life, he had many mistresses. When he entered into a romance with Walewska, he still had a wife – Josephine.
It turned out that it was precisely his young mistress who gave him a son, which only confirmed his conviction that he was not infertile, and he decided to divorce his wife.
For his next wife, he chose Marie Louise, who also gave him offspring. After 3 years of romance, Walewska was sidelined, but he did not leave her without help. She received a small palace near Paris, and their son received the title of count and enormous fortune. After the separation, they met several more times, but ultimately the emperor was exiled to the island of St. Helena.
Undoubtedly, Maria emerged from this relationship as the winner. Although their romance did not develop into a serious relationship, thanks to their offspring she obtained many material goods. The puzzle of this extraordinary romance has not been completely solved to this day. Many questions remain unanswered, and historians can only spin their own theories and conjectures.
It is not even known whether all the information from Walewska’s memoirs is true, and many people cast doubt on it. We will therefore not learn whether it was a pure political game or whether Maria perhaps loved Napoleon.
