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Lot Essay
Maria-Nunziata Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio on 15 March 1782, but chose to be called Caroline from the age of eleven. At fifteen, while on a visit to her brother at Mombello Castle in 1797, she fell in love with one of Napoleon's finest generals, Joachim Murat. After a further three years of education in Paris, she married Joachim on 20 January 1800. They lived in the Hôtel Thélusson, rue Cerutti, as well as having an estate at Neuilly and were noted for their lavish entertainment.
Following Napoleon's new military conquests, his sister and brother-in-law had hoped to be crowned King and Queen of Spain after the abdication of Charles IV in 1808, but this honour was conferred upon Joseph Bonaparte. However, this was on condition that Joseph relinquish the throne of Naples and the Two Sicilies in favour of Caroline and her husband and so on 1 April 1808, Joachim was proclaimed King.
To honour the occasion, this parure was presented to Queen Caroline by the City of Naples. Due to her husband's military duties, she assumed the title of Regent and Napoleon wrote to his brother-in-law "with such a lady as yours, when you are absent commanding my cavalry in time of war, she can make an ideal Regent".
After the defeat of the Grand Army in Russia in 1812 and at Waterloo in 1815, she lived in the Château de Hainbourg under the name Countess de Lipona (an anagram of Napoli). General Murat was executed on 13 October 1815 in Calabria while trying to regain his throne.
The government of Louis-Phillipe offered Caroline an annuity of 100,000 francs and she returned to Florence where she died in 1839.
Following Napoleon's new military conquests, his sister and brother-in-law had hoped to be crowned King and Queen of Spain after the abdication of Charles IV in 1808, but this honour was conferred upon Joseph Bonaparte. However, this was on condition that Joseph relinquish the throne of Naples and the Two Sicilies in favour of Caroline and her husband and so on 1 April 1808, Joachim was proclaimed King.
To honour the occasion, this parure was presented to Queen Caroline by the City of Naples. Due to her husband's military duties, she assumed the title of Regent and Napoleon wrote to his brother-in-law "with such a lady as yours, when you are absent commanding my cavalry in time of war, she can make an ideal Regent".
After the defeat of the Grand Army in Russia in 1812 and at Waterloo in 1815, she lived in the Château de Hainbourg under the name Countess de Lipona (an anagram of Napoli). General Murat was executed on 13 October 1815 in Calabria while trying to regain his throne.
The government of Louis-Phillipe offered Caroline an annuity of 100,000 francs and she returned to Florence where she died in 1839.