Marie-Anne Walewska, Duchess Colonna-Walewski, née di Ricci, (1823–1912), was a French

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official ...

and royal mistress. She served as ''

Première dame d'honneur ''Première dame d'honneur'' ('first lady of honour'), or simply ''dame d'honneur'' ('lady of honour'), was an office at the royal court of France. It existed in nearly all French courts from the 16th-century onward. Though the tasks of the post ...

'' to Empress

Eugénie de Montijo '' Doña'' María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 19th Countess of Teba, 16th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo (), was Empress of the French from her marriage to Emperor Nap ...

in 1868–1870, and was the last to perform this function in France. She is also known for her relationship to Emperor

Napoleon III of France Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

in 1857–1861.

Life

She was born to the

Papal Count The papal nobility are the aristocracy of the Holy See, composed of persons holding titles bestowed by the Pope. From the Middle Ages into the nineteenth century, the papacy held direct temporal power in the Papal States, and many titles of papal ...

Zanobi di Ricci and Princess Isabelle Poniatowski-Luci (illegitimate daughter of the last King of Poland's

nephew In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of the subject's sibling or sibling-in-law. The converse relationship, the relationship from the niece or nephew's perspective, is that of ...

). On 4 June 1846, she became the second wife of the Polish Count (later Duke)

Alexandre Colonna-Walewski Alexandre Florian Joseph, Count Colonna-Walewski (; pl, Aleksander Florian Józef Colonna-Walewski; 4 May 181027 September 1868), was a Polish and French politician and diplomat, best known for his position as Foreign Minister of France under Na ...

(4 May 1810 – 27 September 1868), the illegitimate son of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

and his mistress, Countess Marie Walewska, and a Minister of the French Cabinet during the Second Empire. She was described as an elegant and intelligent blonde beauty and was a leading member of the high society of Second Empire Paris. While her spouse was described as well respected, but too reserved to be popular in society, she "greatly assisted him in retaining some popularity", and it was said that :"''Every one was attracted by the Comtesse Walewska, who never lost an opportunity of doing a kind act, or of obliging others in those small things of daily life which are so pleasing and so valuable. She was also quiet and ladylike. Her beauty was much extolled, but this seemed more due to a general impression of a very charming and most agreeable woman, than to real beauty taken in a literal sense''."

Lord Malmesbury Earl of Malmesbury is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1800 for the diplomat James Harris, 1st Baron Malmesbury. The son of the grammarian and politician James Harris, he served as Ambassador to Spain, Prussia, Russia ...

considered her to be the only woman in the company of the Empress who was not vulgar, and Bismarck described her as the most entertaining woman in France after the empress. Her two daughters - along with the nieces of the empress and the son of doctor Conneau - was the main playmates of the Imperial Prince.

Royal mistress

In July 1857, Walewska was reported to have replaced

Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione Virginia Oldoïni Rapallini, Countess of Castiglione (22 March 1837 – 28 November 1899), better known as La Castiglione, was an Italian aristocrat who achieved notoriety as a mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France. She was also a significant ...

as the main lover of the Emperor. In parallel, she was a member of the private circle of the Empress, who reportedly refused to let the affair affect their relationship. When she began the affair with the Emperor, Marie-Anne Walewska openly stated to the Empress that it would no longer be seen proper for her to be invited to the private functions of the Empress because rumours had put it about that she was the mistress of the Emperor, and that she refused to allow it to affect their friendship. In reply, Eugenie embraced her, kissed her and made clear that the "rumour" would affect nothing. Her husband was granted a property in Landes by the Emperor in return for pretending not to notice the affair. The relationship between the Emperor and Walewska was well known and attracted attention in diplomatic reports, and she herself alluded to it, possibly to give the impression that she had influence upon affairs of state. The relationship with the Emperor was not exclusive. In January 1858, it was reported that the Emperor had sexual intercourse with every woman at court who initiated it, and during 1859, he had a somewhat more serious affair with the Clothilde de La Bédoyère. However, none of the rivals of Marie-Anne Walewska managed to become more than temporary affairs, and she remained the main lover of the Emperor for four years. During the Emperor's infidelity toward her, Walewska caused some scenes which attracted attention. In November 1861, the relationship was noted to be discontinued. Her husband was reportedly displeased about this, because he had come to rely upon it as a valuable channel of influence to the Emperor which could be of use to him.

Later life

In 1868, Walewska was appointed to the office of ''Première dame d'honneur'' to the Empress after the death of her predecessor Pauline de Bassano. She was the last person to hold the office, as it was abolished in 1870 with the end of the Empire.Alison McQueen: Empress Eugénie and the Arts In 1879, she attended the burial of the son of Eugenie in Great Britain.

Ancestry

References

* Seward, Desmond: Eugénie. An empress and her empire. (2004) {{DEFAULTSORT:Walewska, Marie-Anne 1823 births 1912 deaths Mistresses of Napoleon III French ladies-in-waiting Walewski