Laetitia Marie Wyse Bonaparte
Encyclopedia
Lætitia Marie Wyse Bonaparte (1833 - 1902; her successive married names were de Solms, Rattazzi and de Rute) was a French author.
, Ireland
. She was the granddaughter of Lucien Bonaparte
by his second wife, through the marriage of his daughter Letizia to Sir Thomas Wyse
, an Irishman, British plenipotentiary at Athens, and Member of Parliament. However, she was born after Letizia had been separated from her husband for three years, and her father was Letizia's lover Captain Studholm John Hodgson (1805–1890), a British Army officer.
She was educated in Paris
. In 1850, aged seventeen, Marie married Frédéric de Solms, a rich gentleman from Strasbourg who soon left her to go to America. Marie, known as the Princess de Solms, remained with her mother, who kept a brilliant salon in Paris frequented by Victor Hugo
, Eugène Sue
, the younger Alexandre Dumas, and other writers.
In the early 1850s Marie had an affair with Count Alexis de Pommereu that produced a son in 1852. In February 1853 the French authorities ordered her expulsion from the Empire, after accusations that she had illegally taken the name Bonaparte and had stirred up "scandalous disorders." There were however reports that the Emperor Napoleon III had secretly paid a number of visits to his beautiful young cousin, that the jealous Empress Eugenie had learned of the visits and told her husband that Marie maintained a salon of subversives, and that he had thereafter ordered her expulsion.
In August 1853 Marie settled at Aix-les-Bains in Savoy
, then a part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, where her friend Pommereu built her a chalet that soon became the center of a new literary salon. She went often to Turin, capital of the kingdom, where she established yet another salon at the Hotel Feder. She maintained friendships with Hugo, Sue, Dumas, and others including Lajos Kossuth
, Alphonse de Lamartine
, Hughes Felicité Robert de Lamennais
, Victor Henri Rochefort, Marquis de Rochefort-LuCay
, Tony Revillon, and the American minister to the Kingdom of Sardinia
, John Moncure Daniel.
In 1859 Napoleon III's profligate cousin, Prince Napoleon, was betrothed to Clotilde, the 15-year-old daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele II. This was done as part of an agreement concluded by the King's prime minister, Count Cavour, to guarantee French support for Sardinia in the oncoming war to free northern Italy from Austrian occupation. Turin society was scandalized when the Princess de Solms flouted the Emperor by appearing at the betrothal ball on the arm of U.S. Minister Daniel. The King, unhappy with the betrothal, was secretly pleased.
She was an early woman journalist, and through Sainte Beuve
, Marie contributed to the Constitutionnel under the pen name
of Baron Stock. She also wrote for the Pays and the Turf. After Savoy was annexed to France (1860) as another part of the agreement between Napoleon III and Cavour, Marie went back to Paris where she played a prominent part in the literary and social events of the time. In her salon, she gathered men of all shades of opinion. In 1863, her husband having died, she married Italian
statesman Urbano Rattazzi
, and lived with him in Italy
where she was known as “Divina Fanciulla.” After he died, she returned to Paris
, and a few years later married a Spaniard
named de Rute whom she also outlived.
In 1881 she edited Rattazi et son Temps, and in the last two or three years of her life she published two volumes of her own memoirs, and edited the Nouvelle Revue Internationale, to which she also contributed a significant amount.
Biography
She was born in WaterfordWaterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. She was the granddaughter of Lucien Bonaparte
Lucien Bonaparte
Lucien Bonaparte, Prince Français, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano , born Luciano Buonaparte, was the third surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and his wife Letizia Ramolino....
by his second wife, through the marriage of his daughter Letizia to Sir Thomas Wyse
Thomas Wyse
Sir Thomas Wyse KCB , an Irish politician and diplomat, belonged to a family claiming descent from a Devon man, Andrew Wyse, who is said to have crossed over to Ireland during the reign of Henry II and obtained lands near Waterford, of which city thirty-three members of the family are said to have...
, an Irishman, British plenipotentiary at Athens, and Member of Parliament. However, she was born after Letizia had been separated from her husband for three years, and her father was Letizia's lover Captain Studholm John Hodgson (1805–1890), a British Army officer.
She was educated in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1850, aged seventeen, Marie married Frédéric de Solms, a rich gentleman from Strasbourg who soon left her to go to America. Marie, known as the Princess de Solms, remained with her mother, who kept a brilliant salon in Paris frequented by Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
, Eugène Sue
Eugène Sue
Joseph Marie Eugène Sue was a French novelist.He was born in Paris, the son of a distinguished surgeon in Napoleon's army, and is said to have had the Empress Joséphine for godmother. Sue himself acted as surgeon both in the Spanish campaign undertaken by France in 1823 and at the Battle of Navarino...
, the younger Alexandre Dumas, and other writers.
In the early 1850s Marie had an affair with Count Alexis de Pommereu that produced a son in 1852. In February 1853 the French authorities ordered her expulsion from the Empire, after accusations that she had illegally taken the name Bonaparte and had stirred up "scandalous disorders." There were however reports that the Emperor Napoleon III had secretly paid a number of visits to his beautiful young cousin, that the jealous Empress Eugenie had learned of the visits and told her husband that Marie maintained a salon of subversives, and that he had thereafter ordered her expulsion.
In August 1853 Marie settled at Aix-les-Bains in Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
, then a part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, where her friend Pommereu built her a chalet that soon became the center of a new literary salon. She went often to Turin, capital of the kingdom, where she established yet another salon at the Hotel Feder. She maintained friendships with Hugo, Sue, Dumas, and others including Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
, Alphonse de Lamartine
Alphonse de Lamartine
Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine was a French writer, poet and politician who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic.-Career:...
, Hughes Felicité Robert de Lamennais
Hughes Felicité Robert de Lamennais
Hugues-Félicité Robert de Lamennais , was a French priest, and philosophical and political writer.-Youth:Félicité de Lamennais was born at Saint-Malo on June 19, 1782, the son of a wealthy merchant...
, Victor Henri Rochefort, Marquis de Rochefort-LuCay
Victor Henri Rochefort, Marquis de Rochefort-LuCay
Victor Henri Rochefort, Marquis de Rochefort-Luçay , French politician, was born in Paris.-Life:His father was a Legitimist noble who, as Edmond Rochefort, was well known as a writer of vaudevilles; his mother's views were republican...
, Tony Revillon, and the American minister to the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
, John Moncure Daniel.
In 1859 Napoleon III's profligate cousin, Prince Napoleon, was betrothed to Clotilde, the 15-year-old daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele II. This was done as part of an agreement concluded by the King's prime minister, Count Cavour, to guarantee French support for Sardinia in the oncoming war to free northern Italy from Austrian occupation. Turin society was scandalized when the Princess de Solms flouted the Emperor by appearing at the betrothal ball on the arm of U.S. Minister Daniel. The King, unhappy with the betrothal, was secretly pleased.
She was an early woman journalist, and through Sainte Beuve
Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve
Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve was a literary critic and one of the major figures of French literary history.-Early years:...
, Marie contributed to the Constitutionnel under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Baron Stock. She also wrote for the Pays and the Turf. After Savoy was annexed to France (1860) as another part of the agreement between Napoleon III and Cavour, Marie went back to Paris where she played a prominent part in the literary and social events of the time. In her salon, she gathered men of all shades of opinion. In 1863, her husband having died, she married Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
statesman Urbano Rattazzi
Urbano Rattazzi
Urbano Pio Francesco Rattazzi was an Italian statesman.-Biography:He was born in Alessandria . He studied law at Turin, and in 1838 began his practice, which met with marked success at the capital and Casale. In 1848, Rattazzi was sent to the Sardinian chamber of deputies in Turin as...
, and lived with him in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
where she was known as “Divina Fanciulla.” After he died, she returned to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and a few years later married a Spaniard
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
named de Rute whom she also outlived.
Writings
Her writings consists of miscellaneous sketches, verses, plays, and novels, such as Si j'etais reine (1868) and Les marriages de la créole (1866), reprinted under the title La chanteuse (1870). Her 1867 novel "Bicheville," a thinly disguised attack on the society of Florence, capital of the new Kingdom of Italy, caused serious embarrassment to Rattazzi, who was serving as prime minister of the Kingdom. She also wrote L'Aventurier des Colonies (1885), a drama; and the volume of tales, Enigme sans Clef (1894).In 1881 she edited Rattazi et son Temps, and in the last two or three years of her life she published two volumes of her own memoirs, and edited the Nouvelle Revue Internationale, to which she also contributed a significant amount.
Literature
- Bridges, Peter. Pen of Fire: John Moncure Daniel (Kent, Oh.: Kent State University Press, 2002)
- Dictionnaire du Second Empire (Paris: Librairie Artheme Fayard, 1995), 1205
- Grand Dictionnaire Universel du XIX Siecle (Larouse) (Paris: Slatkine, 1982), 13:730
- Grierson, Parisian Portraits (New York, 1913)