House of Bonaparte Facts for Kids

The symbol of the French Empire under the Bonaparte family

The House of Bonaparte is a powerful European royal family. It was started by Napoleon I of France in 1804. Napoleon was a military leader from Corsica. He became very powerful and changed France from a republic into an empire. The Bonaparte family ruled France from 1804 to 1815 and again from 1852 to 1870. The current head of the family is Jean-Christophe Napoléon.

Napoleon I: The Emperor Who Built an Empire
Crowns Held by the Bonaparte Family
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Napoleon I: The Emperor Who Built an Empire

Napoleon Bonaparte is the most famous person from the Bonaparte family. He created the First French Empire. This empire took over a large part of Europe in the early 1800s.

Napoleon became the leader of France on November 10, 1799. His brother, Lucien Bonaparte, helped him. Lucien was a speaker in the French government. On December 2, 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French. He also became King of Italy on May 26, 1805.

Napoleon made his family members rulers of other countries:

His older brother, Joseph, became King of Naples (1806–1808). Later, Joseph became King of Spain (1808–1813).
His third brother, Louis, became King of Holland (1806–1810).
His youngest brother, Jerome, became King of Westphalia (1807–1813).

Napoleon's son, Napoleon François Charles Joseph (1811–1832), was called the King of Rome. People loyal to the family later called him Napoleon II. However, he only ruled for two weeks after his father gave up the throne.

Charles Louis Napoléon (1808–1873) was Napoleon I's nephew. He became president of France in 1848. In 1852, he became Emperor Napoleon III and ruled until 1870.

Crowns Held by the Bonaparte Family

The Bonaparte family held many important titles across Europe.

Emperors of the French

These members of the Bonaparte family ruled as Emperors of France:

Napoleon I (1804–1814, 1815): He was also King of Italy from 1805 to 1814.
Napoleon II (1815): He was called King of Rome from birth, but he never truly ruled.
Napoleon III (1852–1870): He was the nephew of Napoleon I.