A Very Short History
By Anna Kathryn Lanier

Empress Eugénia

On January 29, 1853, Louis, Napoleon III, the new Emperor of France and the great Napoleon I’s nephew, wed Spanish aristocrat Eugénia in a civil ceremony.  She was 22 and he was 44. She refused to consummate the marriage until after they were married in the church the following day.

According to 365 GREAT STORIES FROM HISTORY: ONE FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR, she was probably grateful for having one more day of her life go by without having been bed by her husband. Though a great and powerful man, from a great and historically famous family, Louis was not known for his seductive prowess.   The Marquise de Taisy-Chatenoy remarked that her encounter with Louis was brief, unsatisfying and that his heavy breathing melted the wax on his mustache.

Napoleon III

Empress Eugénia had made a very good match for herself, but she had not married the man she loved. As a young woman, she fell in love with the Spanish Duke of Sesto, who flirted with her unashamedly, all the while enticed by her more lovely sister, Paca (who married another man).   Eugénia, though married to Napoleon, followed Sesto’s life from France and did what she could to help him in later years, though he never really seems to appreciate her love or efforts.

Napoleon III, Empress Eugénia and Aphonso

Surprisingly, the marriage with Louis did produce a son and heir, as it seemed Eugénia was not happy with conjugal visits from her husband. Napoleon was unaffected by his wife’s lack of ardor and found satisfaction elsewhere throughout the marriage.  Though they did not seem to find mutual sexual enjoyment from each other, Napoleon trusted Eugénia enough to make her Regent while he went off to war in Italy.

As Regent, Eugénia was able to help Queen Isabel when she was forced off the Spanish throne. Sesto, who by this time was living in France, as husband to Eugénia’s widowed sister-in-law (something Eugénia found hard to accept), also helped the queen and heir apparent Alphonso set up a household in exile. Napoleon came to their defense when the Spanish General Juan Prim invited a Prussian prince to become Spain’s new king, instead of Aphonso. France declares war on Prussia and a war is on.

However, Bismark defeated France at Sedan in 1870, forcing Eugénia and Napoleon into exile in Britain.  Napoleon died in 1873, but Eugénia, who had long been friends with Queen Victoria, lived until 1920, playing the role of Great Dame until her death.

References:
http://empresseugenie.com/
365 GREAT STORIES FROM HISTORY: ONE FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR , by W.B. Marsh and Bruce Carrick

Anna Kathryn Lanier
www.aklanier.com 
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/
“Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.” ~Doug Ivester