How plausible would be for Bernadotte to be actually installed on the french throne in 1815?
Tsar Alexander kept more or less promising it to him from 1809 to 1815, and B. tried to keep relations with ex-monarchic, ex-republican and bonapartists officers in france (with mixed success).
He was viewed as a "constitutional" monarch (sort of Charles X ante litteram), which was surely something more palatable to Britain (an maybe even to Paris) than Louis XVIII's strict "ancient regime" view of the world.
Leaving Sweden's throne vacant (B. could not pretend to have both) coud make things far smoother in Denmark, since the promise of acquiring Norway (at Denmark's expenses) could have been ditched without anybody complaining too loud.
Also, the thing could somehow reassure Prussia, since there was a sizeable swedish army in Pomerania and with an ambitious man as B. at its head, some of the swedish historical claim to part of those lands could be renwed (while, as a king who was about to swap throne, he would have little thought to it).
The main problem, of course would be that it would be a gross violation of the Legitimity principle.
But, OTL, there was ANY state at all (apart from France) where the Legitimity principle was actually applied?
rapid check: Denmark: no (norway), Belgium: no (eaten by holland), Holland: no (republic turned kingdom), Switzerland: no (kept napoleonic restructuration), various germanic lands: no (idem, plus Prussia eating bits), Naples: no (Murat), various north italian lands: no (used as a spare change box to settle accounts/accomodate peoples): Spain: no (colonies, and anyhow Ferdy was reinstalled by Nap, not by the allies), Poland: no (eaten by russia).
Maybe just Portugal.
Another possible problem could be that a vacant swedish throne could give Alexander ambition of putting a puppet of him there.
This would probably make Austria and Prussia happy (Russia looking at scandinavia would look less to germany), but british eyebrows would surely frown.
So, in summary:
1) Was it possible?
2) How to achieve it?
3) What to do with poor Louis Stanislas Xavier?
Tsar Alexander kept more or less promising it to him from 1809 to 1815, and B. tried to keep relations with ex-monarchic, ex-republican and bonapartists officers in france (with mixed success).
He was viewed as a "constitutional" monarch (sort of Charles X ante litteram), which was surely something more palatable to Britain (an maybe even to Paris) than Louis XVIII's strict "ancient regime" view of the world.
Leaving Sweden's throne vacant (B. could not pretend to have both) coud make things far smoother in Denmark, since the promise of acquiring Norway (at Denmark's expenses) could have been ditched without anybody complaining too loud.
Also, the thing could somehow reassure Prussia, since there was a sizeable swedish army in Pomerania and with an ambitious man as B. at its head, some of the swedish historical claim to part of those lands could be renwed (while, as a king who was about to swap throne, he would have little thought to it).
The main problem, of course would be that it would be a gross violation of the Legitimity principle.
But, OTL, there was ANY state at all (apart from France) where the Legitimity principle was actually applied?
rapid check: Denmark: no (norway), Belgium: no (eaten by holland), Holland: no (republic turned kingdom), Switzerland: no (kept napoleonic restructuration), various germanic lands: no (idem, plus Prussia eating bits), Naples: no (Murat), various north italian lands: no (used as a spare change box to settle accounts/accomodate peoples): Spain: no (colonies, and anyhow Ferdy was reinstalled by Nap, not by the allies), Poland: no (eaten by russia).
Maybe just Portugal.
Another possible problem could be that a vacant swedish throne could give Alexander ambition of putting a puppet of him there.
This would probably make Austria and Prussia happy (Russia looking at scandinavia would look less to germany), but british eyebrows would surely frown.
So, in summary:
1) Was it possible?
2) How to achieve it?
3) What to do with poor Louis Stanislas Xavier?