Biography of desiree

Biography of desiree: Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary was Queen

She officially kept herself incognito and did not host any court, but she kept in contact with the Swedish embassy, regularly visited the court of Louis XVIII, and often saw Swedes at her receptions, which she hosted on Thursdays and Sundays, unofficially in her role as queen, though she still used the title of countess. During this period, she fell in love with the French prime minister, the Duc de Richelieuwhich attracted attention.

True or not, she did fall in love with him, but the affection was not returned by Richelieu, who referred to her as his "crazy Queen". During the summer ofher son Oscar made a trip in Europe to inspect prospective brides, and it was decided they should meet.

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As France was deemed unsuitable, they met in Aachen and a second time in Switzerland. InDesideria returned to Sweden together with her son's bride, Josephine of Leuchtenberg. It was intended to be a visit, but she was to remain in Sweden for the rest of her life. She and Josephine arrived in Stockholm 13 June Three days later, the royal court and the government were presented to her, and on 19 June, she participated in the official welcoming of Josephine and witnessed the wedding.

A well-known story is that after her return to Sweden there was a warm and dry period, so the peasants turning up to see her were coaxed into greeting her with "Vi vill ha regn! Her coronation had been suggested upon her return, but her husband had postponed it because he feared there could be religious difficulties. There was actually a suggestion that she should convert to the Lutheran faith before her coronation, but in the end, the question was not considered important enough to press, and she was crowned all the same.

She was crowned at her own request after having pressed Charles John with a wish that she should be crowned as "otherwise she would be no proper Queen". Charles John treated her with some irritability, while she behaved very freely and informally toward him.

Biography of desiree: Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary was

The court was astonished by her informal behavior. She could enter his bedroom and stay there until late at night even though he hinted to her that he wished to be alone with his favorite Count Magnus Brahe. Because of their difference in habits, they seldom saw each other even though they lived together. Because she was always late at dinner, for example, he stopped having his meals with her, and as he also preferred to have his meals alone, it was not uncommon for the nobles of the court to sit alone at the dinner table, without the royal couple present.

There is nothing to indicate that Queen Desideria ever had any political influence, and she was praised for her lack of interference in politics. Whenever Charles John became agitated, she was known to be able to biography of desiree him with the one firm word "Bernadotte! For every punishment he stated, she is said to have struck her fan in the table and said to the surrounding courtiers "He could not hurt a cat!

Queen Desideria enjoyed social life, but only if it was informal, and her strong dislike of court etiquette, and refusal to submit to it, made it hard for her to accustom to her position as queen and make herself respected by the nobility, who privately ridiculed her difficulty to adjust to etiquette, [ 13 ] and she was also regarded with some snobbery because of her past as a merchant's daughter and a republican.

Consequently, it was difficult for her to discipline her aristocratic ladies-in-waiting, whom Charles John appointed without consulting her, and who preferred to sort out conflicts regarding etiquette among themselves instead of asking her to mediate, which on at least one occasion led to a scene which caused Charles John to reprimand her: "Try to make your ladies not to announce their actions and conflicts to the public as it happened the day you departed from Stockholm", after an incident when two ladies-in-waiting had "screamed like rower madams " about precedence in the seats of the queen's carriage during a journey.

She gradually reduced her participation in social life because she could find not pleasure in it when it must be conducted in accordance with etiquette. Consequently, with time she participated less and less in court life, and it was said that she "spent her most time in her own apartment, where her thoughts with regret trailed back to the time when she, surrounded by affectionate friends, lived in France free from the prison of etiquette.

After the departure of her niece to France, she often socialized with the rich merchant Carl Abraham Arfwedsonwho had once been a guest in her childhood home. Desideria was interested in fashion, devoted a lot of interest and pride in her hair and wore low cut dresses until an advanced age. She enjoyed dancing: her standard question at court presentations was if the debutantes liked to dance, and she herself danced well also during her old age.

Her conversations were mainly about her old life in France. She never learned to speak the Swedish language, and there are many anecdotes of her attempts to speak the language.

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Her lack of etiquette became more accepted over the years, as she became known as an eccentric in other aspects. Like her daughter-in-law, Desideria was a Catholic, but in contrast to Josephine, who was a devout and practicing Catholic, she never was. When the priest started to preach and reprimand her, she silenced him and stated that such talk irritated her nerves.

Her favorite summer residence was Rosersberg Palacewhere she kept chickens for pets, but as Rosersberg was remote, she more commonly stayed at Haga Palace. Desideria visited Norway for the first time in Her son, the new King Oscar I, allowed her to keep living in the queen's quarters in the Royal Palace as well as her entire court staff out of consideration, so that she would not have to change her habits.

When her daughter-in-law Queen Josephine tried to convince her to reduce her court of her own free will, saying that she no longer needed such a big court as a queen mother, she answered "It is true that I no longer need them biography of desiree, but all of them still need me. Desideria did engage in charity but it was discreet, and it has been said: "Her charity was considerable but took place in silence".

One example was that she supported poor upper-class women by giving them sewing work. She also acted as official protector of charitable institutions, such as the Women's Society Girl School. The same year she became a widow, she was described by the French diplomat Bacourt: "Royalty has not altered her — unfortunately, for the reputation of the Crown.

She has always been and will always remain an ordinary merchant woman, surprised over her position, and surprising to find upon a throne. After her return to Sweden inDesideria had kept her house at Rue d'Anjou in Paris awaiting her return. It was managed by her sister Catherine Honorine Villeneuve and her old French staff, while her business in France was managed by her nephew, Imperial Count Clary.

Her fear of sea travels, however, made it impossible for her to leave. During her last years, she was worried about her house in Paris because of the plans of the city architect Haussmannbut Napoleon III made an exception for her and allowed for her house to stand, which it did until one year after her death. During her later years as queen, and particularly as a queen mother, she became known for her eccentricity.

She is known to have kept reversed hours and, consequently, for often being late and keeping guests waiting, something which agitated her spouse. Designer Holdings Ltd. Designer Drugs. Desiree Bernadotte —. Desiree Bernadotte b. Desjardin, Thomas A. Desjardins, Hon. Alice, Q. Desjarlais, Bev Churchill. The Polk Foundation. Taking Names.

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