Jerome Bonaparte: brother of Napoleon I, military commander, temporary heir to the throne

On November 15, 1784, Jerome Bonaparte, the younger brother of Emperor Napoleon I, was born. From an early age, he began to build a military career: he studied at a military College, then served on a ship with the rank of Lieutenant. The first years of the nineteenth century were eventful: Bonaparte visited Haiti, arriving here with Charles Leclerc; returning to France, he was forced to go to America because of the persecution of English ships. Here he married the merchant's daughter Elizabeth Paterson, but soon left her, returning to his homeland at the request of his brother.

Having received the title of Prince, in 1806 he led a corps in Silesia and participated in several successful captures of fortresses. In 1807, he remarried - this time his wife was Princess Catherine. It was a period of luxury and quiet life. After the abdication of Napoleon I from power, Jerome traveled to Europe, lived in Austria, Belgium, and in 1847 was able to arrive in France again.

His political and military activities did not end there. When Louis Napoleon came to power, Jerome Bonaparte took the post of Governor of the Invalides, and then became Marshal of France. In 1853, he married for the third time, marrying the Marchioness Giustina Baldelli. For several years he was the heir to the throne, until the son of Napoleon III was born. Jerome Bonaparte died in the summer of 1860.