WI: July Napoleonic Monarchy

This is a POD that just came to mind:

Napoleon decides to stay in Elba despite everything. Meanwhile, in Paris another popular revolt occurs caused by the discontent of the Bourbons that leads to the proclamation of a short-lived Second Republic. This alarms the Coalition which leaves its differences to crush the revolt and reestablish Louis XVIII (who had been imprisoned). Basically this is the TTL replacement for Napoleon's Hundred Days.

On the other hand, the Coalition decides to turn a deaf ear to the British proposal to send Napoleon to Saint Helena because he remained calm despite everything. The tsar even succeeds in getting him to send his son, Napoléon II, in a magnanimous outburst as a reward to Napoleon for his behavior.

In the future, Napoleon II, eager to do better than his father, always looks to France, that land where he lived for a short time and which belonged to his father. When he learns of a new revolt, he decides to embark incognito to reach France and take power.

By the way, on Napoleon's death in 1821, his mother Letizia took over from Napoleon II.
 
Come on guys, show your thoughts. This scenario is too intriguing.

What do you think would happen?
 
By the way, on Napoleon's death in 1821, his mother Letizia took over from Napoleon II.
I learned that Napoleon's conditions in Saint Helena contributed to worsening his illness due to the tropical climate, humidity, lack of exercise (he was forbidden to ride horses beyond a certain limit) and adequate medical care.

As in the POD he would stay in Elba, all those problems are butterflied and he lives, let's say, until 1827. This changes things because he has more time to be intimate with his son so we would have a Napoleon II much more prepared to take over the Monarchy in July.
 
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IMO the problem with this scenario is that a Bonapartist restoration is a bit too soon -- I think it's a little too absolutist, and Bonapartism was not yet the ideology of the workers and peasantry as it became in 1848. Besides, much of the push during the Revolution came from the moderate royalists, who (for obvious reasons) would not have been thrilled at restoring a Bonaparte.
 
IMO the problem with this scenario is that a Bonapartist restoration is a bit too soon -- I think it's a little too absolutist, and Bonapartism was not yet the ideology of the workers and peasantry as it became in 1848. Besides, much of the push during the Revolution came from the moderate royalists, who (for obvious reasons) would not have been thrilled at restoring a Bonaparte.
I don't know the workers very well before 1848, but the peasants and the military adored Napoleon and his legend.
 
I don't know the workers very well before 1848, but the peasants and the military adored Napoleon and his legend.
@Red_Neptune Anyway, before we get into the details, let's first imagine the big picture: Napoleon II takes power comfortably enough, what happens next? How do the European powers react? What can Napoleon II do to appease them? What do you think his policies would be? Etc
 
Hmmmm... It can depend on the age than Napoleon II takes power. I mean, if he takes power in 1821 as a ten year old, he would have to rely a lot on the regency. However if he takes power somewhere in his early 20s, I expect him leading armies against virtually all Europe. Maybe Austria becomes his ally. Or he might marry some European princess to appease some other power.
 
Hmmmm... It can depend on the age than Napoleon II takes power. I mean, if he takes power in 1821 as a ten year old, he would have to rely a lot on the regency. However if he takes power somewhere in his early 20s, I expect him leading armies against virtually all Europe. Maybe Austria becomes his ally. Or he might marry some European princess to appease some other power.
He takes the power in 1830.
 
This is a POD that just came to mind:

Napoleon decides to stay in Elba despite everything. Meanwhile, in Paris another popular revolt occurs caused by the discontent of the Bourbons that leads to the proclamation of a short-lived Second Republic. This alarms the Coalition which leaves its differences to crush the revolt and reestablish Louis XVIII (who had been imprisoned). Basically this is the TTL replacement for Napoleon's Hundred Days.

On the other hand, the Coalition decides to turn a deaf ear to the British proposal to send Napoleon to Saint Helena because he remained calm despite everything. The tsar even succeeds in getting him to send his son, Napoléon II, in a magnanimous outburst as a reward to Napoleon for his behavior.

In the future, Napoleon II, eager to do better than his father, always looks to France, that land where he lived for a short time and which belonged to his father. When he learns of a new revolt, he decides to embark incognito to reach France and take power.

By the way, on Napoleon's death in 1821, his mother Letizia took over from Napoleon II.
Who is Napoleon II going to marry in this timeline? Maybe a Russian princes?
 
I haven't thought enough about that. I would bet on a German, but I may choose a local woman related to some former member of the Imperial Guard.
Was it allowed at the time for a monarch to marry someone who wasn't a princess? I have read that crownprince William (1840 – 1879) from the Netherlands was not allowed to marry Countess Mathilde von Limburg-Stirum because a marriage between a member of the royal family and a member of the nobility was considered unequal and unacceptable. Of course, this is France, not the Netherlands. Or were there different rules for the emperial guard? Or for Napoleon?
 
Was it allowed at the time for a monarch to marry someone who wasn't a princess? I have read that crownprince William (1840 – 1879) from the Netherlands was not allowed to marry Countess Mathilde von Limburg-Stirum because a marriage between a member of the royal family and a member of the nobility was considered unequal and unacceptable. Of course, this is France, not the Netherlands. Or were there different rules for the emperial guard? Or for Napoleon?
Yes, morganatic marriages were strongly discouraged and incurring them meant that the spouse lost various privileges. However, in the case of the Bonaparte Dynasty that does not matter much since, well, it is the Bonaparte Dynasty, its creator was a poor Corsican low nobleman who became a French citizen and a successful general. What matters more with the Bonaparts is their adoption of the Salic Law.

However, Napoleon II is more likely to marry someone from the German nobility or perhaps someone from the House of Orléans (although not if this would be so plausible).
 
If he takes power in 1830, I think he'll marry either of the two eldest daughters of Louis-Phillipe. Maybe Louis-Phillipe wants to link both houses. He may also marry some German princess although I think that a marriage with a Habsburg archduchess is more or less improbable, as he must have come to hate Habsburgs in Elba.
 
If he takes power in 1830, I think he'll marry either of the two eldest daughters of Louis-Phillipe. Maybe Louis-Phillipe wants to link both houses. He may also marry some German princess although I think that a marriage with a Habsburg archduchess is more or less improbable, as he must have come to hate Habsburgs in Elba.
We should check how willing Louis Philippe would be. That could work as he would unite both the Bonapartist party and the Orleanists.
 
Yes, morganatic marriages were strongly discouraged and incurring them meant that the spouse lost various privileges. However, in the case of the Bonaparte Dynasty that does not matter much since, well, it is the Bonaparte Dynasty, its creator was a poor Corsican low nobleman who became a French citizen and a successful general. What matters more with the Bonaparts is their adoption of the Salic Law.

However, Napoleon II is more likely to marry someone from the German nobility or perhaps someone from the House of Orléans (although not if this would be so plausible).
Actually Napoléon proved OTL (both pre-1815 and after his exile) that he was extraordinarily discriminatory on who his relatives could or could not marry. He even included a list of American families that were "acceptable" versus those that weren't (descendants of Jefferson were on the acceptable list, IIRC). And at the OTL Second Empire, Napoléon III used this criteria to decide who constituted part of the imperial family and who didn't.
 
Actually Napoléon proved OTL (both pre-1815 and after his exile) that he was extraordinarily discriminatory on who his relatives could or could not marry. He even included a list of American families that were "acceptable" versus those that weren't (descendants of Jefferson were on the acceptable list, IIRC). And at the OTL Second Empire, Napoléon III used this criteria to decide who constituted part of the imperial family and who didn't.
Yes, but Napoleon himself would marry whomever he wanted. It is more of a man's whim than a law.
 
Yes, but Napoleon himself would marry whomever he wanted. It is more of a man's whim than a law.
Uh...no. It was a "house law". Same as the Bourbons, Habsburgs and most German dynasties had theirs. England was the only place (AIUI) where "house laws" were registered by Parliament (Act of Settlement, Royal Marriages Act etc)
 
Uh...no. It was a "house law". Same as the Bourbons, Habsburgs and most German dynasties had theirs. England was the only place (AIUI) where "house laws" were registered by Parliament (Act of Settlement, Royal Marriages Act etc)
No, Napoleon could always have consented to Lucian's marriage (in fact, he offered to spoil him in exchange for Luciano later divorcing as a political maneuver to mitigate the effect of his own divorce with Josephine.), but he refused because he wanted him to marry someone Napoleon himself chose for his political gain. So did Jerome, only he submitted to Napoleon and divorced his American wife. Joseph's own wife was a bourgeoisie, and Napoleon accepted him out of consideration for his sister and his ex-fiancée.

Napoleon himself only cared about an heir and whether he had married Countess Walewska or a woman related to his Imperial Guard to have him. He did neither because of his circumstances with Josephine, Poland, and the Habsburgs.
 
No, Napoleon could always have consented to Lucian's marriage (in fact, he offered to spoil him in exchange for Luciano later divorcing as a political maneuver to mitigate the effect of his own divorce with Josephine.), but he refused because he wanted him to marry someone Napoleon himself chose for his political gain. So did Jerome, only he submitted to Napoleon and divorced his American wife. Joseph's own wife was a bourgeoisie, and Napoleon accepted him out of consideration for his sister and his ex-fiancée.

Napoleon himself only cared about an heir and whether he had married Countess Walewska or a woman related to his Imperial Guard to have him. He did neither because of his circumstances with Josephine, Poland, and the Habsburgs.
To amend my earlier post, IIRC its actually in the Constitution that came into effect shortly before/after the coronation
 
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