Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-27
lSUNKNOWN TOFAME
SKETCH OF THE GREAT NAPO-
Icons son.
HOW HIS FATHER LOVED HIM
The Titles of King of Rome, Duke OF
Reichstadt and Napoleon II, Borne
by the Boy, but Lived in Obscurity
Cut Off in His PrimeInterest in
Life Deep and Real

Inc interest attaching 10 ine KING OF
Rome, the duke of Reichstadt, Napo-
leon II.-wbicheyer you choose TO call
hints deep and real. Yet the mania
for Napoleon has not led people Ill
general to pay as much attention as
one would expect to his son. Few
children have been received into the
world with so demonstratiye a well
come. Napoleon, when his first child
was born, was at the very height Of
his power The birth CT his son was
ushered in with artillery salutes. A
few days later a great military fete
was given. Forty thousand soldiers
were assembled, and a review was
held of all the battalions in Paris.
The birth took place on March 20,
1911, at s o'clock in the morning, and
Immediately couriers were sent in
every direction to announce it. The
senate received the news with great
professions of joy, and solemnly re-
newed its allegiance to Napoleon.
Three years later that same senate
deposed the emperor.
At the baptism people came from all
parts of Europe. The emperor of
Austria, VINO could not be present in
person, was represented by his rela-
tive, the grand duke of HurZbourg.
Eight days after the baptism the legis-
lative body assembled, and soon the
emperor announced the title which he
intended the boy to have. Il have
united Rome to the empire" Il have
granted to the pope a palace both at
Rome and at Paris are phrases from
the speech in which Napoleon eX-
plains-so far as he ever conde-
, scended to exDlain-why he had
/ chosen this title.
/ Though he knew it not, Napoleon
had reached his highest point Of glory
when the duke of Reichstadt was born.
! The next few years were to be years
of struggle. It was all he could do to
+ hold his own against an adverse fate,
and he had little enough time to spend
with his child. This was hard enough
/ for Napoleon, who certainly was one
of the most affeCtionate of fathers.
It was not very long after the birth
of his son that ne set out on his dis
/ astrous Russian campaign. While
making preparations for Borodino,
news came that portrait of the young
! prince by Gerard was on its way. This
shows the king of Rome in his cradle,
half sleeping, with a scepter and a
globe in his hand instead of rattle.
When it arrived Napoleon called his
officers:
Gentlemen, if my son were 10 years
old, believe that he would be here in
the very midst of all these brave men
instead Of being merely represented by
a painting" He placed the picture on
a chair in his tent that he might al
ways have it before him.
After the battle of Leipsig the coun-
ell of regency deliberated whether
Maria Louisa and the king of Rome
should go away or stay. Napoleon had
said in an old letter: eff by the
chance of war communications are in
terrupted, [ desire that the persons of
the empress and my son be not ex-
posed"
March 20, therefore, Maria Louisa
and the young prince quilted the
Tuileries The child, who was then
past years old, broke into loud fits
of weeping, crying: 81 don't wish TO
leave the palace 1t was rather
melancholy procession that went from
the Tuileries-no ceremony or attend
ance, wagons loaded with valuables,
and group of melancholy people,
with a weeping child in their midst.
Finally, when the French armies
had capitulated under the walls o.
Paris, maria Louisa and her son re-
manned for time a. Blois. In a truly
royal way Maria Louisa made a speech
to her supporters. My son was less
sure of your hearts in the time OF our
prosperity. His rights and his person
are your safeguard"
From Blois she went to RambOuiliet,
and on May 2, 1914, crossed the Rhine
to return to the home of her girlhood.
Her father, the emperor Of Austria,
and all the imperial family awaited
her on the peTistyle OF the palace at
/ Schoenbrun. They greeted her and
the little prince most affectionately.
They were charmed with the boy, and
the emperor declared that henceforth
he would be the tutor and father of
Napoleon's son. His official tutor was
Count Maurice de Dietrichstein, but
the emperor gave much personal at
tention to his education.
For a time the young prince was
without name, heritage or title, but in
los the emperor decided his position
by this formal announcement: I'VE
give to Prince Francois Joseph
Charles, son OF our welI-loved daugh-
ter, the Archduchess Maria Louisa,
the title of duke of Reichstadt."
This title, though it carried no land
or revenue with it, was derived from
an appanage of the empire. The boy
took immediate rank with the princes
of the imperial family. Eventually
certain lands in Bavaria and Bohemia
were settled on him with the reversion
to his heirs male, and an income Of
3 100000 francs a year. Until Maria
Louisa died, however, he was not to
have this revenue, for she was to sup
port him from the income that she de-
rived from Parma. After Waterloo
the treaty of Fontainebleau was an
nulled, and, although Maria Louisa in
the end was permitted to retain
Parma, she had much less than the
allies were at first inclined to give her.
Sometimes the duke of Reichstadt
showed curiosity about his early days.
My grandpa, is it true, that when l
was at Paris I had DageS?''