Caroline Bonaparte
Caroline Bonaparte (Carolina Maria Annunziata Bonaparte Murat; 25 March 1782 – 18 May 1839) was a French imperial princess and the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte. Born in Ajaccio, Corsica, she was the seventh child of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino.
In 1800 she married Joachim Murat, a top general of Napoleon who would become King of Naples. When Napoleon made Murat king, Caroline became Queen of Naples in 1808. She had previously held the title Grand Duchess of Berg and Cleves. Caroline often acted as regent of Naples when Murat was away, especially in 1812–1813, 1813, 1814, and again in 1815.
Caroline was known for her beauty, intelligence, and political skill. She helped renovate Naples’ royal residences, supported the silk and cotton industries, encouraged art and design, and founded a girls’ school. She also took an interest in archaeology and the discoveries at Pompeii. Napoleon reportedly said she was the sister who most resembled him.
She was sometimes jealous of his first wife, Joséphine, and her influence at court is tied to stories about Napoleon taking a mistress to show he could have children, which contributed to Joséphine’s divorce. In 1810 Napoleon married Marie Louise of Austria, and Caroline escorted her to France.
During the wars against Napoleon, Murat pursued peace with the anti-Napoleon forces in 1814. When Napoleon returned to power in 1815, Murat supported him but was defeated and executed. Caroline fled to the Austrian Empire and later used the title Countess of Lipona (an anagram of Napoli) during her exile. She lived with Francesco Macdonald and married him in 1817 in a morganatic arrangement.
Caroline and Murat had four children: Achille, Letizia, Lucien, and Louise. After Murat’s death she lived in Florence, where she died in 1839 and was buried at the Chiesa di Ognissanti.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:59 (CET).