An archive of primary source material relating to Joachim Murat, Marshal of France and King of Naples
I've posted quite a few letters from Murat to his daughter Letitia here (see the letters list at the bottom of the Archive page); however, very letters still exist from Caroline Murat to any of her children (or at least, very few of them have been published anywhere). Below is one of Caroline's letters to …
Continue reading “The Emperor is excessively occupied with his future”
This second installment of Napoleon's letters (via the Fondation Napoléon) to Murat spans from 3 November - 15 December 1808. There is a noticeable change in tone in these letters from those of the first few months of Murat's reign, with the Emperor beginning to unleash a torrent of criticisms against Murat about matters great …
As many Napoleonic history buffs are already aware, the Fondation Napoléon has recently published the the entirety of Napoleon's correspondence online (here). This will be the first part of a series of translations of the Emperor's letters to Murat. Rather than going from earliest to latest, I'm starting with the letters from the beginning of …
Continue reading “Distinguish yourself and make yourself loved”
Returning to the memoirs of General Belliard, Murat's close friend and chief of staff, we have a letter from Caroline Murat to Belliard, written on 20 October 1812, two days after her husband's defeat at the Battle of Tarutino. Caroline expresses her hope that the army will arrive in Moscow soon; Napoleon had just begun …
Part 7 of my translation of Albert Vandal's Le Roi et la Reine de Naples. Still in Paris in the aftermath of Napoleon's wedding to Marie-Louise, Caroline Murat continues to serve as an intermediary between her husband and the Emperor. New conflicts arise between the two men as Napoleon struggles to get his finances in …
As delighted as Murat initially was to be back in the field in 1812 after having been made to sit out during the 1809 campaign, it was not long before the rigors of the invasion of Russia, and his anxiety over the state of affairs in Naples, combined to set his mind towards returning home. …
Among the many things Murat inherited from Joseph Bonaparte upon replacing him as King of Naples in the summer of 1808 was the Order of the Two Sicilies, which Joseph had established in February. Generous by nature, Murat was soon enthusiastically doling out the decoration (pictured above, via eMedals) with reckless abandon. While some of …
Part 6 of my translation of Albert Vandal’s Le Roi et la Reine de Naples. While staying in Paris together for Napoleon's wedding to Marie-Louise, Murat and Caroline are reconciled after years of tension in their marriage. But in the aftermath of the imperial wedding, Murat and Napoleon have an explosive quarrel that marks a turning …
Continue reading “Her insinuating nature, adroitly dominating…”
I know many of my readers here are already aware of this from following me on social media, but it's only fitting that I announce the publication of my very first book here too! Joachim Murat: A Portrait in Letters, is nowavailable through Amazon, in both paperback and Kindle editions. In the coming weeks, it …
Part 5 of my translation of Albert Vandal’s Le Roi et la Reine de Naples. Caroline Murat has been specially chosen by Napoleon to go and retrieve Marie-Louise, his soon-to-be second wife and new Empress, from the Austrian border, and accompany her back to France for the upcoming wedding. It is an exhausting journey for Caroline, who …
Project Murat 