A Russian in Paris

Alexander I of Russia is well known for refusing Napoleon the hand of his sister in marriage (resulting in Napoleon picking Marie Louise to replace Josephine), but a lesser fact is that when the Bourbons were restored the first time, he offered his sister, Anna Pavlovna, to Louis XVIII as a second wife. Louis refused. When following the Hundred Days, Louis tried for a marriage between his nephew, the duc de Berri and the aforementioned Anna, Alexander refused as he considered the Bourbon Regime "too unstable". Berri later married Caroline of Naples and Anna married into a country she loathed (the Netherlands).

What might have happened if Anna and Berri had married?
 
Alexander I of Russia is well known for refusing Napoleon the hand of his sister in marriage (resulting in Napoleon picking Marie Louise to replace Josephine), but a lesser fact is that when the Bourbons were restored the first time, he offered his sister, Anna Pavlovna, to Louis XVIII as a second wife. Louis refused. When following the Hundred Days, Louis tried for a marriage between his nephew, the duc de Berri and the aforementioned Anna, Alexander refused as he considered the Bourbon Regime "too unstable". Berri later married Caroline of Naples and Anna married into a country she loathed (the Netherlands).

What might have happened if Anna and Berri had married?

I have always used Anna Pavlovna in most of my royal stories, she is an interesting lady, her up bringing in Russian royalty put her on edge around monarchs who were close to their subjects.
In a French monarchy I could see her fitting in well. And it would be nice to see her as Queen/Empress of France after the death of King Charles XI
 
I have always used Anna Pavlovna in most of my royal stories, she is an interesting lady, her up bringing in Russian royalty put her on edge around monarchs who were close to their subjects.
In a French monarchy I could see her fitting in well. And it would be nice to see her as Queen/Empress of France after the death of King Charles XI

If one considers the amount of influence Anna wielded over her OTL son - Willem III - as far as his conservative politics were concerned, if she meddles in French politics (not as queen, but as the first Madame Mere (or whatever the Ancien Regime title was) since Louise of Savoy, if Berri still has his unfortunate run-in with a saddle-maker) she might prove as unpopular as l'Autrichienne or l'Espagnole (Empress Eugenie) OTL, wouldn't it?
 
Top