One of Napoleon's heirs just married an Austrian countess, who is descended from Napoleon's second wife. Check out the lavish reception in the medieval palace where the French emperor himself once lived.
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Prince Jean-Christophe, 33, and Countess Olympia, 31, married on October 19 in a lavish ceremony in Paris.
Source: Vogue Australia
The wedding ceremony was held at Les Invalides in Paris and was attended by royal guests, including Princess Beatrice of York.
Source: Harper's Bazaar AU
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The countess wore a gown by Oscar de la Renta with white pumps — and of course, a diamond tiara. Perhaps most notably, her engagement ring contains a 40-carat diamond from the crown of Eugenie de Montijo, Napoleon III's wife and the last empress of France.
Source: Harper's Bazaar AU, Vanity Fair
The reception was held at the Château de Fontainebleau, a medieval palace that Napoleon had restored and refurbished during his time as Emperor.
Source: Instagram, Napoleon.org
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Jean-Christophe is a descendant of military general Napoleon Bonaparte, the first emperor of France. Napoleon Bonaparte was known for implementing Napoleonic Code, also known as French Civil Code, and leading the Napoleonic Wars, which lasted from 1803 to 1815. In 1815, Bonaparte was forced to abdicate power, and was exiled to the island of Elba.
French Civil Code "forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and stated that government jobs must be given to the most qualified."
The Napoleonic Wars allowed for the French empire to expand into other countries such as Italy, Sweden, and Spain.
Source: Biography.com
But a year later, in 1816, Napoleon fled back to Paris and returned to power — only to abdicate once more, after his defeat in the Battle of Waterloo. He was then exiled to the island of St. Helena, where he later died.
Source: Biography.com
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Countess Olympia, meanwhile, is the great-great-great niece of Archduchess Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Marie-Louise, a member of the house of Hapsburg, was the eldest daughter of Francis I of Austria and a niece of Marie-Antoinette, the former queen of France.
Source: Britannica, Vogue Australia
Historians generally agree that Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie-Louise were in a loveless marriage, in a political union that aimed to end conflicts between France and Austria.
After Napoleon's death, Marie-Louise married twice and is now buried in Vienna.
Source: Britannica, Vogue Australia
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But now, nearly 200 years later, the House of Hapsburg and Imperial House of France are unified once more, this time in a decidedly loving ceremony. As Jean-Christophe said, the relationship between himself and his now-wife is "a story of love," rather than a "nod to history."
That said, the French prince did admit that the two were later "able to smile at this historical coincidence."
Source: Harper's Bazaar AU, Daily Mail
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