Elisa was born in
Ajaccio, Corsica. She was a younger sister of
Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon I of France and
Lucien Bonaparte. She was an older sister of
Louis Bonaparte, Pauline Bonaparte, Caroline Bonaparte and
Jérôme Bonaparte.
Her sharp tongue often caused troubles in her relations with her brother Napoleon.
She was established as a member of the Imperial family of the
First French Empire on
May 18, 1804. She received the title of
Imperial Highness. On
March 19, 1805, Napoleon awarded her with the Principality of
Lucca and Piombino.
Her separation from her husband was seen favorably by Napoleon. On
March 3, 1809 he gave Elisa the honorary title of a
Grand Duchess of Tuscany, which had been annexed by France in
1807. Her husband soon rejoined her however.
Elisa remained Grand Duchess of Tuscany until
February 1, 1814, when
Grand Duke Ferdinand III was restored to the throne he had occupied before
1801. Elisa spent the later years of her life in seclusion and died in
Trieste. She was buried in the
San Petronio Basilica of
Bologna. She was also the only adult
sibling of
Napoleon Bonaparte that did not survive him.
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