Charles-René de Bombelles

Charles-René de Bombelles (November 6, 1784 – May 30, 1856) was a French officer in the Austrian army, who, in 1834, entered in a morganatic marriage with Marie-Louise of Austria, the Duchess of Parma, former Empress of France, and the second wife of Napoleon, after serving as her chamberlain. He was her third husband, and she was his second wife, and their marriage was her second morganatic marriage. Later in his life (after the death of his older brother, Louis Philippe de Bombelles), he became the Count of Bombelles.

Early life
Charles-René de Bombelles was born in Versailles on November 6, 1784, and was the third child and third son of Marc Marie, Marquis de Bombelles and Marie-Angélique de Mackau, as well as the grandson of Henri François de Bombelles. He was either one of seven children- six of whom who survived to adulthood, or one of four children, all of whom survived to adulthood. Among his siblings were Louis Phillipe (the Count of Bombelles, chamberlain to the Emperor of Austria and Austrian ambassador to Denmark), Henri François de Bombelles (tutor of Francis-Joseph, Emperor of Austria), Caroline Antoinette de Bombelles (lady of honor to the Duchess of Berry and wife of François de Biaudos de Casteja).

As he was born to a noble family in Versailles, he was forced to flee to Austria during the French Revolution (presumably around the beginning of the Revolution, approximately 1789) and joined "the Austrian Mittrowsky regiment as ensign." In 1804, after some time in the military, he assumed the title of captain. Presumably, he went onto fight in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1814, after the defeat of Napoleon, he returned to Paris, France to serve as aide-de-camp to Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg, who was "the commander-in-chief of the coalition armies." Charles remained in Paris, serving as the Prince's aide-de-camp until he became a lieutenant of infantry.

In 1814, soon after returning to France, Charles married Caroline Sabine Victoire de Poulhariez de Saint André de Foucaud. Together they had two children- a son named Louis (Louis de Bombelles, born 1817) and a daughter named Marie (Marie de Bombelles, born 1819). Soon after, Charles was widowed. It is unclear when exactly Caroline died (some sources place her death in 1834), but primary sources suggest that she died in Vienna in 1819, leaving her husband a widower with two children.

Marriage to Marie Louise
After Marie Louise, the Duchess of Parma and widow of Napoleon, lost her second husband (and grand chamberlain), Adam Albert von Neipperg, in 1829, Prince Metternich (a German prince and diplomat who initially introduced and encouraged the marriage Napoleon and Marie several years before hand), suggested that Charles become the new grand chamberlain of Marie Louise. Charles initially declined this offer, but after some consideration, relented, and, "at 48 years of age," Charles left for Parma and became the grand chamberlain of Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma.

He was reportedly an incredible chamberlain. "He came," wrote a Mr. Challiot, the steward of Marie-Louise, "into a country distracted by feuds and indignant at the strong measures which it had been necessary to take in order to sweep away the former abuses... By degrees he [Charles] filled up the court appointments, which had become vacant- appointing persons who had earned the respect of the public. The accounts were kept with severe regularity. A budget drawn up every year assigned to each department and amount which was never exceeded; on the contrary there was very often a surplus. As far as was possible, everything supplied to the court, and all works required for the Ducal residence, were issued for tender and open to competition. Each department was minutely organized, all expenses were settled and paid once a month; A balance sheet showing receipts and expenditure was drawn up yearly, and submitted for audit to the Treasury of the Duchies, before being presented to her Majesty."

After working as her grand chamberlain for some time, Marie Louise, who had grown quite close to him over his stay in her household, proposed marriage to Charles, and on February 17, 1834, Charles and Marie-Louise were secretly married. The marriage was a morganatic one. Marie Louise was a duchess, and he a lesser noble and military officer with no clear title aside from Captain (and, later, Count). Upon their marriage, he assumed the title of Minister of Defense.

Not much is known about their marriage, though they seemed to be happy and affectionate towards each other. Marie Louise and Charles remained married until her death on December 17, 1847. They had no children, and he stayed by her side over the course of the few days that she was on her deathbed. In her will, she left her stepdaughter and his daughter, Marie, "the ivory crucifix which hung from the curtains of her bed, and which would receive her last breath" and publicly declared their marriage to one another. Along with this, she also left him "the sum of 300,000 Italian livres, in Milanese bonds," as well as her portrait by François Gérard, all of her books, and her manuscripts.

Later life
Soon after Marie Louise's death, Charles returned to Vienna, Austria where he served in the court of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. After serving in Emperor Ferdinand's court, he returned to France where he died in Versailles on May 30, 1856, aged 70.