2 Ladies from Baden. 2 arranged marriages. 2 unions gone wrong!

Here I have talked about the dukes of Baden, their alliances with Bonaparte for land, money and protection, but part of those alliances included arranged marriages that went wrong.

Here first is Stéphanie von Baden, niece of Josephine, whom Bonaparte adopted so that he could wed her to a ruler who was an ally of France. She became Grand Duchess Stéphanie von Baden (1789–1860), out living her husband.

They lived apart in the beginning of their marriage, but came together to have five children, three daughters and two sons. Both boys died in childhood.

Stephanie lived in Mannheim after her husband's death.

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Elizabeth Alexeievna—or as she was known at birth, Louise von Baden—was the eldest daughter of the duke of Baden and therefore the sister-in-law of Stephanie, the Grand Duchess. She was considered the loveliest woman in Europe and many wished to marry her. Bonaparte thought of it himself but this was early in his role as Emperor and had not yet divorced Josephine.

Louise married the Tsarevich, Alexander, who later became Alexander I, emperor of Russia. They had no children.

In 1802 Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun painted this portrait of her. (Le Brun who lived in many countries after she fled Paris and the Terror, painted many rulers of Europe.)