Page "Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma" Paragraph 15

Marie Louise was an obedient wife and settled in quickly in the French court.

She developed a close friendship with her maid-of-honour, the Duchess of Montebello.

Napoleon " spared no pains " to please her and claimed at one point to prefer Marie Louise to his first wife Joséphine ; while he had loved Joséphine, he claimed, he had not respected her, whereas with Marie Louise, there was " Never a lie, never a debt " — presumably a reference to Joséphine's rumoured extramarital affairs and reputation as a spendthrift.

Marie Louise wrote to her father: " I assure you, dear papa, that people have done great injustice to the Emperor.

The better one knows him, the better one appreciates and loves him.