Maximilian De Beauharnais, 3rd Duke Of Leuchtenberg
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Maximilian Joseph Eugene Auguste Napoleon de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince Romanowsky (2 October 1817 – 1 November 1852) was the husband of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna of Russia and first cousin of Emperors
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
of the French and
Francis Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...
. He was a grandson of Napoleon I's first wife, the
Empress Josephine The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
, by her prior marriage to
Alexandre de Beauharnais Alexandre François Marie, Viscount of Beauharnais (; 28 May 1760 – 23 July 1794) was a French politician and general of the French Revolution. He was the first husband of Joséphine Tascher de La Pagerie, who later married Napoleon Bonaparte ...
. A student of
Moritz von Jacobi Moritz Hermann von Jacobi (; 21 September 1801 – 10 March 1874), also known as Boris Semyonovich Yakobi (), was a German-Russian electrical engineer and physicist. Motors Jacobi began to study magnetic motors in 1834. In 1835 moved to Dorpat ...
, he is known as one of pioneers in galvanoplasty and an expert in copper and bronze metalworks generally, as well as an art collector. He was the proprietor of the first locomotive works in Russia.


Childhood

He was born as the second son of Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstätt and Princess Augusta Amalia Ludovika Georgia of Bavaria. His maternal grandparents were Maximilian I, King of Bavaria and his first wife Marie Wilhelmine Auguste, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt. His maternal grandmother Marie Wilhelmine Auguste was a daughter of Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt, younger son of
Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt Louis VIII (German: ''Ludwig''; 5 April 1691 – 17 October 1768) was the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1739 to 1768. He was the son of Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Margravine Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach. ...
. He was a brother of: * Auguste de Beauharnais, Prince consort of
Maria II of Portugal Dona Maria II (Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Habsburgo-Lorena e Bragança; 4 April 1819 – 15 November 1853) also known as "the Educator" () or as ...
; * Amélie de Beauharnais,
Empress consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but historically she does not formally ...
of
Pedro I of Brazil ''Don (honorific), Dom'' Pedro I (12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), known in Brazil and in Portugal as "the Liberator" () or "the Soldier King" () in Portugal, was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of ...
; *
Josephine of Leuchtenberg Josephine of Leuchtenberg (Joséphine Maximilienne Eugénie Napoléone de Beauharnais; 14 March 1807 – 7 June 1876), also Josefina, was Queen of Sweden and Norway from 8 March 1844 to 8 July 1859 as the wife of King Oscar I. She was also Pri ...
,
Queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...
of
Oscar I of Sweden Oscar I (born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte; 4 July 1799 – 8 July 1859) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway from 8 March 1844 until his death. He was the second monarch of the House of Bernadotte. The only child of Ki ...
. Prince Maximilian was born in the kingdom of his maternal grandfather, King Maximilian I of Bavaria. After the fall of the
First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
and the restoration of the Bourbons in Paris in 1814, Maximilian's father fled France and found refuge with his wife's family in Munich. Victims of Bavarian protocols, which constantly reminded them that they were inferior to the Wittelsbachs, the Beauharnais family still benefited materially from their exile. With his fortune, Prince Eugène acquired several castles and estates, including the Leuchtenberg Palace in Munich and land situated in the
Canton of Thurgau Thurgau (; ; ; ), anglicized as Thurgovia, and formally as the Canton of Thurgau, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of five districts. Its capital is Frauenfeld. Thurgau is part of Eastern Switzerland. I ...
in Switzerland. The French prince also recreated his art collection in Bavaria, and his children grew up among high-quality works of art. Prince Eugène died of a heart attack in 1824, and his second son was thus raised principally by his mother. Maximilian received a high-quality education supervised by Augusta. His siblings made great marriages: Josephine to the future king of Sweden and Norway (1823), Eugenie to the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1826), Amelie to the Emperor of Brazil (1829), Auguste to the Queen of Portugal (1834), and Theodelinde to the Duke of Urach (1841). Like most men of his social class, Maximilian was destined for a military career. Still an adolescent, he was named commander of the 6th Regiment of the Bavarian Cavalry by his grandfather before being promoted by his uncle King Louis I of Bavaria to colonel of the regiment of Uhlans.


Duke of Leuchtenberg

His maternal grandfather Maximilian of Bavaria appointed his father, Eugène de Beauharnais, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg on 14 November 1817. The title came with the effective administration of the Principality of
Eichstätt Eichstätt () is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the district of Eichstätt. It is located on the Altmühl river and has a population of around 13,000. Eichstätt is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Dioce ...
. Maximilian was named "Prince of Leuchtenberg" and became the second-in-line heir to the Duchy. On 21 February 1824, his father died and his older brother became Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg. His brother was yet childless and Maximilian became his
Heir Presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...
. Auguste eventually married
Queen Maria II of Portugal Dona Maria II (Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Habsburgo-Lorena e Bragança; 4 April 1819 – 15 November 1853) also known as "the Educator" () or as ...
but died childless on 28 March 1835. Maximilian became the 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg at this point.


Marriage and personal life

In 1836,
Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich of Russia (; – ) was a Russian grand duke, the tenth child and fourth son of Paul I of Russia and his second wife, Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg), Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, who took ...
made an official visit to Munich. He met Princess Augusta and her family, who received him with a feast at their home. Shortly after this,
Tsar Nicholas I Nicholas I, group=pron (Russian language, Russian: Николай I Павлович; – ) was Emperor of Russia, List of rulers of Partitioned Poland#Kings of the Kingdom of Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 18 ...
invited King Ludwig I of Bavaria to send a prince of his house to attend military maneuvers in Russia. The tsar had been trying for several years to marry a Russian grand duchess to one of the king's sons, but this had been politely rejected. However, the tsar insisted, and specifically asked that the king send his nephew, Prince Maximilian. After consulting with his sister, who was enthusiastic about the advantages that could come from this trip, Ludwig I asked his nephew to go to Russia to represent Bavaria. Maximilian's voyage took place in 1837 and took him to different regions of the Russian Empire. He was warmly received by the tsar. Maximilian met the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and the imperial couple's children. Quickly, a romance formed between the prince and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna, the tsar's favorite daughter. The tsar was satisfied because he liked Maximilian and considered him an appropriate match for his daughter. Nonetheless, he made his demands known to the young prince: if they married, the prince would have to live in Russia and serve in the imperial army. Above all, he would have to agree to raise his children in the orthodox religion and make them Russian princes. After having consulted his mother, Maximilian accepted the tsar's conditions, and his engagement to Maria was officially announced on 5 December, 1838. Satisfied, the tsar conferred upon his future son-in-law almost all Russian and Polish orders. Shortly thereafter, the Duke of Leuchtenberg returned to Bavaria to put his affairs in order. They were married on 2 July 1839 in the chapel of the
Winter Palace The Winter Palace is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the House of Romanov, previous emperors, from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now house the Hermitage Museum. The floor area is 233,345 square ...
. 15 days of festivities followed, but Muscovites disapproved, shocked to see one of their princesses married to a French prince whose father had participated in taking their city in 1812. His father-in-law Nicholas I granted to him on 14 July 1839 the Russian and Finnish style ''
Imperial Highness Imperial Highness is a form of address used for members of an imperial family. It denotes ''imperial'' – as opposed to ''royal'' – status to show that the holder in question is descended from an emperor rather than a king (compare His ...
'', a rank he was entitled to as a descendant of the extended dynasty of Napoleon I of France. His father was an adoptive son of Napoleon. He was named major general of the Russian Army and Colonel in Chief of the Hussards Regiment of Kiev. He also received an annual income of 100,000 rubles. The tsar gave Maria an income of 700,000 rubles as well as a sum of 2 million payable in treasury bonds at 4%. For their lodging, the tsar had built and furnished, at his own cost, one palace in St. Petersburg and another near the capital. While awaiting the construction of their new residence (called Maria Palace), Maximilian and his wife lived at the Winter Palace. They stayed there until 1845, and their first four children were born there: Alexandra, Maria, Nicholas, and Eugenie. After that, the couple could finally become independent, and Maximilian transferred his collection of paintings, arms, and minerals to Russia. Many of these can be seen today at the Hermitage Museum or other Russian institutions. The early years of Maximilian and Maria's marriage were happy, and the couple had many children. However, relations between them soured starting in 1845, when the Grand Duchess began an affair with Count Grigori Alexandrovich Stroganov. Most historians believe that Maximilian was not the real father of the princes Eugene, Serge, and George of Leuchtenberg, who were in reality the sons of Stroganov. For his part, Maximilian was not a model husband: he had many female conquests and devoted himself to gambling. In reality, life in Russia weighed on the prince, who was humiliated by being nothing more than his wife's husband there.


Activities

Career military, Maximilian spent long periods away from the capital. Considered a foreigner all his life, he was only sent on secondary missions, which hurt his self-esteem. The prince also struggled to get used to Russian discipline, which was much harsher than that of the Bavarian army. Passionate about art and science, the prince augmented the collections of paintings, minerals, and arms he had inherited from his father and brother. As Maximilian was considered a brilliant intellectual, the tsar named him an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and president of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Maximilian was also the imperial family's first entrepreneur. A personal friend of Moritz von Jacobi, he studied galvanoplasty and electromagnetism with him. Above all, he was the first to use these processes in an industrial way. In 1847, he founded a factory that built the first Russian locomotives. Besides these activities, Maximilian was patron of several charitable organizations. He financed the building of the Maximilian Clinic, which gave free care to the needy.


Illness and death

In 1845-46, Maximilian went on a mineral expedition in the Urals. There, he contracted pneumonia, which rapidly evolved into tuberculosis. Badly affected by the illness, the prince had to go recuperate in Estonia, then in Majorca, Spain. After 1847, however, doctors considered his condition hopeless and that no further treatment was possible. The prince died on 1 November, 1852 in St. Petersburg, and his father-in-law declared a mourning period of three months, just like for any member of the imperial house.


Children

# Princess Alexandra Maximilianovna (9 April 1840 – 12 August 1843), died in childhood # Princess Maria Maximilianovna (16 October 1841 – 16 February 1914) m.
Prince Wilhelm of Baden Margrave Wilhelm of Baden (8 April 1792 in Karlsruhe – 11 October 1859 in Karlsruhe) was the second son of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden and his second wife, Louise Caroline of Hochberg, Luise Karoline, Baroness Geyer von Geyersberg ...
(1829–1897), younger son of
Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden Leopold (29 August 1790 – 24 April 1852) succeeded in 1830 as the Grand Duke of Baden, reigning until his death in 1852. Although a younger child, Leopold was the first son of Margrave Karl Friederich of Baden by his second, morganatic wife, ...
# Nicholas Maximilianovich, 4th Duke of Leuchtenberg (4 August 1843 – 6 January 1891) m. Nadezhda Annenkova (1840-1891) # Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna (1 April 1845 – 4 May 1925) m.
Duke Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg Duke Alexander Frederick Constantin of Oldenburg (; , Alexander Petrovich Oldenburgsky; – 6 September 1932) was the second son of Duke Peter of Oldenburg and Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg. Though he had a German title and ancestry, Alexa ...
(1844–1932) # Eugen Maximilianovich, 5th Duke of Leuchtenberg (8 February 1847 – 31 August 1901) m.(1) Daria Opotchinina (1845–1870) m.(2) Zinaida Skobeleva (1856–1899) # (20 December 1849 – 24 October 1877). Killed in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. #
George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg Prince George Maximilianovich Romanowsky, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg (29 February 1852 – 16 May 1912), also known as Prince Georgii Romanovsky or Georges de Beauharnais, was the youngest son of Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg a ...
(29 February 1852 – 16 May 1912) m.(1)
Duchess Therese Petrovna of Oldenburg Duchess Therese Wilhelmine Olga Friederike of Oldenburg (30 March 1852 – 19 April 1883) was the youngest daughter of Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg and his wife Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg. Marriage On 12 May 1879, Therese married ...
(1852–1883) m.(2)
Princess Anastasia of Montenegro Princess Anastasia Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro (4 January ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. 23 December 18671868 – 25 November 1935) was the daughter of Nicholas I of Montenegro, King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro (1841– ...
(1868–1935)


Further descendants

Through his oldest surviving daughter
Princess Maria Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg Princess Maria Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg, also known as Princess Maria Romanovskya, Maria, Princess Romanovskaja, Maria Herzogin von Leuchtenberg or Marie Maximiliane (16 October 1841 – 16 February 1914) was the eldest surviving daughter of ...
(1841–1914), he is the grandfather of
Prince Maximilian of Baden Maximilian, Margrave of Baden (''Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm''; 10 July 1867 – 6 November 1929),Almanach de Gotha. ''Haus Baden (Maison de Bade)''. Justus Perthes (publishing company), Justus Perthes, Gotha, 1944, p. 18, (French). al ...
(1867–1929),
Chancellor of Germany The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal Cabinet of Germany, government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Government of Germany, ...
during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, and Princess Marie of Baden, the last Duchess consort of Anhalt. His youngest daughter Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg (1845–1925) married
Duke Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg Duke Alexander Frederick Constantin of Oldenburg (; , Alexander Petrovich Oldenburgsky; – 6 September 1932) was the second son of Duke Peter of Oldenburg and Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg. Though he had a German title and ancestry, Alexa ...
(1844–1932), the grandson of
Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation) ...
, and became the mother of
Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg (21 November 1868 – 11 March 1924) was the first husband of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, the youngest sister of Tsar Nicholas II. Early life He was born in Saint Petersburg in the Oldenburg ...
(1868–1924), the divorced husband of
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia (; – 24 November 1960) was the youngest child of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and younger sister of Emperor Nicholas II. Olga was raised at the Gatchina Palace outside Saint Petersburg. Olga's ...
(1882–1960), the youngest sister of
Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...
.


Honours


Ancestry


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beauharnais, Maximilian De, 3rd Duke Of Leuchtenberg 1817 births 1852 deaths Nobility from Munich
Maximilian Maximilian or Maximillian (Maximiliaan in Dutch and Maximilien in French) is a male name. The name "Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1 ...
3 Members of the Bavarian Reichsrat People from the Russian Empire of German descent People from the Russian Empire of French descent Commanders of the Order of the Sword Burials at St. Michael's Church, Munich Sons of dukes