NAPOLEON II

Thank you for information Britt. 

Yes, the picture is realy cute: young duke with two little kids.

Lina died quite early too. She was only 46 years old.

I think, that I've never seen any of her photos. At least I don't remember.
Are there any her portraits or pictures, when she was older, on the forum?

I just checked the forum, and you find the topic on Lina when going to the thread "La duchesse d'Aumale", but the pictures, which once were to see there are not there anymore. It's a pity. I also checked my albums and saw that I did not copy them nowhere. At the moment I can only show this one, which is also on the thread about "La duchesse d' Aumale". Even when there are no photos at the moment, there are more facts

Winterhalter portrait:

When searching in the net I found three more portraits of Lina:

Two when very young and one, when older. On the picture, where she is older, she has the typical longish face which was also to see on the photos (so the painting of her as older Lady is quite similar to the photographs.

On the "younger" portraits (the two were new to me as well) she really has the typical blue Habsburgs eyes that also Marie Louise and Franz have. The similarity is fascinating...what do you think? Marie Louise of Austria, mother of Franz, also had a two children by Neipperg, and her daughter Albertine is very very similar to these Lina portraits. It´s really amazing.


Here the pics:



Similar to young Franz and Albertine in my view! (See the eyes!)



Even this one....!

And here Lina as older woman:



I hope it was a very little useful to you, even when I could not find the photos until now...

Thank you a lot for lovely pictures.

Especially first one from Winterhalter is beautiful.
When she was small and young, she looked very pretty.
Some resemblance between her and Franz Reichstadt or his mother is obvious.
But later unfortunately it was getting worser.
On last portrait her features remind me emperor  Franz II.- her grandfather.
She had same longish face.

Yes, I think your opinion about the looking of the people is right. She really has the longish face of Franz I, when getting older. It would now have been interesting to know how Franz von Reichstadt would have looked in older age. Rather like Napoleon or like his grandfather Franz? It`s difficult, because in many cases people change a lot during their lives. Sometimes they look much like the paternal or maternal side as young people and later the other way around. What do you think, how Franz would have turned out in later years, if he was still alive at that time?? I am not sure.

Yes, I think your opinion about the looking of the people is right. She really has the longish face of Franz I, when getting older. It would now have been interesting to know how Franz von Reichstadt would have looked in older age. Rather like Napoleon or like his grandfather Franz? It`s difficult, because in many cases people change a lot during their lives. Sometimes they look much like the paternal or maternal side as young people and later the other way around. What do you think, how Franz would have turned out in later years, if he was still alive at that time?? I am not sure.

It's difficult to say. When I look in his portraits, I can see resemblance between him and his father Napoleon, but I see in him also his moher
Marie Louise. 
But Marie Louise didn't look like her father emperor Franz II. No all of Habsburgs had a longish face. So who knows...
I pressume, that he would be good looking man also as a older man, but it's only my opinion.
I can't imagine him with bad look. He had something inside what made him attractive outside as well.

Yes, I also think that. His looking was a really unique combination of his mother and his father, his face was not too longish like that of many of the Habsburgs of that times (especially the grandfather Franz and the many greatuncles of Napoleon II.= brothers of emperor Franz I.) and he carries Napoleon's features together with moderately dispersed Habsburgs elements, and turns out much taller because of that, all together amazing. I always loved to see all the pictures of this young man, especially the older ones, were he's not so little anymore. His beautiful blue eyes were indeed from the Habsburg side. Yes, I think he would have been a good looking man also in the age. It's such a pity with his early death.
You're right, even when mother and father of Marie Louise were very closely related, the siblings turned out very differently, Marie Louise is beautiful, whereas her brother emperor Ferdinand I had a terrible longish face. The painted pictures of him are still quite acceptable, where he is younger,  but photos of him are horrible, sorry to say so, but it's a fact. But I don`t think that Franz would have turned out like his uncle Ferdinand (maybe only little little little bit...) in comparison to the rather short stature of his father Napoleon I.

At the moment therre is a special exhibition commemorating the 200 anniversary of his birth at the Culut Center at Konstanz and Arenenberg Castle. I visited it yesterday. Some picutres and a report on my blog.

Hi Stefan,
Thank you for the info. I have already read about the exposition, but have not been there until now because Konstanz is quite far for me. But is it not rather an exposition on Napoleon III instead of Napoleon II (Reichstadt)? As far as I got it's about emperor N III.
How was the exposition, if you have been there? Is there much to see and also worth to travel longer for?
By the way I have just been in the exposition on "König Lustik" (Jerome Bonaparte, king of Westphalia) in Kassel two weeks ago and it was WONDERFUL. Have you also been there?

Hi Stefan,
Thank you for the info. I have already read about the exposition, but have not been there until now because Konstanz is quite far for me. But is it not rather an exposition on Napoleon III instead of Napoleon II (Reichstadt)? As far as I got it's about emperor N III.
How was the exposition, if you have been there? Is there much to see and also worth to travel longer for?
By the way I have just been in the exposition on "König Lustik" (Jerome Bonaparte, king of Westphalia) in Kassel two weeks ago and it was WONDERFUL. Have you also been there?

Hi brit

yes of course about Napoleon III. I typed to fast. The exhibition is really interesting especially the part at Arenenberg Castle. Ther is mouch to see ther, but i don't kn ow what of it is the permanent exhibition there and what belongs to the special one. If you come to the area  i would recommed a Visit as it is in a very beautiful setting.

No i wasn't at the exhibition at Kassel as this is to far from here. I would have loved to visit the exhibition about Queen Emma at Bad Arolsen but it is to bad to reach from you have to travel over 4 hours with the train and i would have to stay over night.

Thanks for your explanations. I would have the same problem, when going to visit the NIII exhibition, maybe staying there over night, because I live in Frankfurt/M and I think Konstanz is quite far from it....

By the way...to be honest I do not really believe in that story of the illegitimate son of NIII "Bonaventur". There are often so many legends around people like that, talking and talking is certain villages or cities, I can sing a song from it: I just had an example with much more profound "proof" and only the DNA proved after 30 years that man never was the one he thought, it was very tragic because the historical figure was much worse than NI or NIII...
So about that Bonaventur story, who knows if he really was NIII's son?
I have read that a descendant of Bonaventur also gave material to the exhibition etc, did you see also that part from it??

Don't forget this water colour of him as a baby:
http://www.photo.rmn.fr/cf/htm/CSearchZ.aspx?o=&Total=38&FP=3732163&E=2K1KTSOUEM9O&SID=2K1KTSOUEM9O&New=T&Pic=9&SubE=2C6NU008FZ1B

and this; he is just born. Napoleon is showing him to the court officials:
http://www.photo.rmn.fr/cf/htm/CSearchZ.aspx?o=&Total=38&FP=3732163&E=2K1KTSOUEM9O&SID=2K1KTSOUEM9O&New=T&Pic=20&SubE=2C6NU0HSLIQL

Thank you for reminding us these two nice paintings.
The webside which enable to see many other pictures of him and Napoleon's family is great as well.

I know that nice picture, where he shows his son to the officials. It includes Berthier and Fesch as well. Napoleon gave so much on his son, but.....