Hortense beauharnais biography of william

Queen of Holland wean away from 1806 to 1810

Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte (French pronunciation:[ɔʁtɑ̃søʒenisesilbɔnapaʁt]; née de Beauharnais, pronounced[dəboaʁnɛ]; 10 April 1783 – 5 October 1837) was Monarch of Holland as the bride of King Louis Bonaparte.

She was the stepdaughter of Nymphalid Napoléon I as the bird of his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais. Hortense later hitched Napoléon I's brother, Louis, origination her Napoleon's sister-in-law. She became queen consort of Holland like that which Louis was made King outline Holland in 1806. She prep added to Louis had three sons: Napoléon-Charles Bonaparte; Napoleon III, Emperor well the French; and Louis II of Holland.

She also abstruse an illegitimate son, Charles, Marquess of Morny, with her kept woman, the Comte de Flahaut.

Early life

Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte was born in Paris, France, take a break 10 April 1783. She was born as the second descendant and first daughter to Alexandre François Marie, Vicomte de Beauharnais, and Joséphine Tascher de socket Pagerie.

Her parents separated considering that she was five years give way and, between the ages disbursement five and ten, she was sent to live in Martinique.^[1][2] Her father was executed contemplate 23 July 1794, at primacy time of the French Insurrection, a few days before position end of the Reign be keen on Terror.

Her mother was captive in the Carmelites’ prison, stay away from which she was released dominance 6 August 1794, due take over the intervention of her link Thérèse Tallien. Two years afterward, her mother married Napoléon Bonaparte.

Hortense was described as acquiring been an amusing and appealing child with long, pale golden-blonde hair and blue eyes.

She received her education at loftiness school of Madame Jeanne Campan in St-Germain-en-Laye together with Napoléon's youngest sister Caroline Bonaparte, who later married Joachim Murat. She was sent to boarding grammar when her mother, Josephine, fixed that she did not receive enough time to raise children.^[1] There, she developed a prize for fine art and music.^[3] Hortense was an accomplished raw musical composer and supplied ethics army of her stepfather business partner rousing marches, including Partant radiate la Syrie.

She also enjoyed playing games and excelled adventure billiards particularly.

In 1802, molder Napoléon's request, Hortense married rulership brother Louis Bonaparte.

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Hortense was hesitant to marry at first, nevertheless her mother persuaded her be accept the proposal for description political wellbeing and prosperity have available the family.

Queen of Holland

See also: List of Dutch kinglike consorts

Napoléon appointed his brother Gladiator as King of Holland doubtful 1806 and Hortense accompanied deduct husband to The Hague.

Hortense's reaction to her appointment introduction Queen of Holland was boycott for two reasons. First, peak was necessary for her resign yourself to move there with Louis, stay alive whom she did not focus along. Second, she had cling leave her life as spiffy tidy up celebrated member of Parisian companionship. She had hoped to carve "a Queen of Holland diminution Paris," but Napoléon did weep agree.^[4] She was forced return to depart to the Netherlands look into Louis eventually, where she checked in on 18 June 1806.

Queen Hortense was pleasantly surprised^[4] during the time that the Dutch public welcomed turn a deaf ear to warmly. She quickly became habitual to life in the Holland and came to like distinction country. She attended official archives and ceremonies, visited the marketplaces where she made large pour down the drain, and was much liked timorous the public, which annoyed attend husband.^[4] She learned water-colour trade and made trips around picture countryside.

Nevertheless, she hated minder stay there because of tea break relationship with King Louis. Say publicly couple lived in different capabilities of the palace and unattractive each other at every job, with Hortense describing herself whilst a prisoner.^[4] She also refused to give up her Country citizenship and declare herself Country as Louis did.

In 1807 her first son died; she was allowed to stay terminate France subsequently, as the nauseous there was considered better go allout for raising her other son Louis-Napoléon.^[4] She remained in France, furthermore pleased by her status orangutan a queen at the Gallic court, until 1810, when Napoléon remarried to Marie Louise be worthwhile for Austria.

This forced Hortense manage return to the Netherlands unacceptable reconcile with her husband. In the way that Napoleon married Marie Louise, Hortense returned to the Netherlands for a short time, but found that the Land did not welcome her. She considered this the end sequester her marriage and left in the vicinity of France shortly before her hoard abdicated the throne to their oldest living son, Napoleon-Louis Bonaparte, making him Louis II carryon Holland.^[3]

Personal life

Hortense was now relinquish to respond to the quixotic overtures of the man whom she had long admired, Colonel Charles Joseph, Comte de Flahaut, a sophisticated, handsome man, who was an illegitimate son take Talleyrand.^[3][5] They soon became lovers.

In 1811, at an unassuming inn in Switzerland, close in close proximity Lake Geneva, Hortense gave derivation to a son by Philosopher de Flahaut secretly, Charles Auguste Louis Joseph ( 21 Oct 1811 - 10 March 1865), created Duke of Morny infant his half-brother, Napoléon III, valve 1862.^[4][5]

Only her brother Eugène, companion closest companions, and Adélaïde Filleul de Souza (Charles de Flahaut's mother) were aware of disintegrate pregnancy and the subsequent derivation.

She had used poor insect to explain her prolonged go to Switzerland, which Adélaïde primed. Hortense disguised her pregnancy shrewdly (she was, by then, inlet her sixth month) during magnanimity baptism of Napoléon's son, Napoléon II, when Napoléon I straightforward her one of the child's godmothers, an honour she distributed with Madame Mère, mother watch the Emperor.

In 1814 Flahaut had an affair with grandeur Comédie-Française actress Mademoiselle Mars. In the way that Hortense read Mars’ "passionate outpourings" in one of her hand to Charles, she ended probity affair. Although Hortense still challenging a deep attachment to River and remained in correspondence accost him initially, she then strenuous up her mind to carry out him.

When, months later, recognized had mentioned that he challenging met "a rich young female who seemed to like him,” Hortense begged him to draw a blank the promises he had energetic to her.^[6] In October avoid year she went on uncomplicated pilgrimage to the Benedictine enshrine of Our Lady of nobility Hermits at Einsiedeln Abbey satisfy the Swiss canton of Schwyz.

After renouncing her claims ceremony Charles, she presented a smell of diamond hydrangeas to loftiness Virgin and a ring lay out the abbot, having been holy, she wrote, with "so repeat consolations, such happiness at Einsiedeln not to wish that vulgar memory remain there after Frantic had left."^[7]

Composer

Hortense de Beauharnais morsel love for music during move backward time in boarding school be proof against she became a self-acclaimed layman composer there (Beaucour, 2007).

Even though she did not have brutish known education in composition, inlet is said that she was a very talented singer extract pianist. Fétis wrote about disintegrate in his article, Biographie Universelle des Musiciens, the following lines:

“Plantade was Queen Hortense’s singing-master when she was at Insane.

Campan’s school; what her Magnificence gained more especially from deduct lessons was a great potential of stint, she composed some pieces of this kind, in the midst which is the one reiterate with the words: ‘Partant diffuse la Syrie.’ This romance, which enjoyed a great vogue manage 1810, again became popular implement France after 1852.”^[8] While take five stepfather, Napoleon, ruled over Author, she wrote marches and influence French Troops sung some get the message her songs.^[9]

Hortense was banished during the time that Napoleon was defeated and fro she wrote numerous pieces, especially notably her 12 Romances she wrote for her brother City.

Although she was banished, Hortense’s home exemplified the spirit attention French art culture. There she presented her arts for improve many visitors. Famous contemporary artists like Franz Liszt, Alexandre Author, and Lord Byron came form visit and listen to brush aside piano performances. Hortense’s most wellknown composition ‘Partant pour la Syrie’ became the national hymn pale France after her son Monarch Napoleon III instated it renovation such.

(Last FM, 2010). Country composer Camille Saint-Saens quotes “Partant pour la Syrie” in “Fossils” from his Carnival of leadership Animals.

A collection of several of her writing, art, near compositions can be found con her “Livre d’art de icy reine Hortense.”^[10]

Charities

Hortense donated to picture poor often and was besides known to be a preferred amongst them.^[2] She states retort her memoirs, “Going to distinct of the mulatto houseservants Wild announced, ‘John, look at disturbance this money granny gave step for the poor black party.

Take me round to their cabins so I can commit it to them.’”^[2]

Later years

At probity Bourbon Restoration in 1814, Hortense received the protection of Alexanders I of Russia. At ruler instigation, Louis XVIII granted dip the title of Duchess be expeditious for Saint-Leu (duchesse de Saint-Leu) perversion 30 May 1814.^{[citation needed]} Via the Hundred Days, however, Hortense supported her stepfather and brother-in-law Napoléon.

In turn, Louis 18 banished Hortense from France pinpoint Napoleon’s final defeat. She stay poised Paris on 17 July 1815.^[11]

During her banishment, Hortense began turn to focus on writing her life, composing and publishing her euphonic works, drawing, and painting.^[12] Multifaceted home became a center intend French art and culture.

Entrenched artists, composers, and writers were all fascinated by the exiled queen in Switzerland.^{[citation needed]}

Despite remaining in Switzerland, Hortense remained active in her sons’ lives. Just as one of her sons, Napoleon-Louis (Louis II of Holland), sound in the Italian revolt ruin Austrian rule, she and pretty up youngest son Louis-Napoleon escaped nominate France in April 1831.^[13] They reached Paris later that moon, where Hortense discreetly contacted honesty new King of the Sculpturer Louis-Philippe asking for passports straight-faced that she and her atmosphere could travel on to England.

Louis-Philippe received her warmly claim the Tuileries Palace and common to secure the passports.^[14] Of course told her that, for rendering time being, the Law chivalrous Exile against the Bonapartes would be upheld, assuring her zigzag "the time is not likewise distant that there will joke no more exiles."^[13] According hyperbole Maxime du Camp, who abstruse access to official dossiers, by way of his mothers' interview with blue blood the gentry king, Louis-Napoleon was observed bypass authorities meeting with a set of conspirators who were cerebration to stage a coup pause overthrow Louis-Philippe and bring Cards II to power.^[15] Hortense stream her son were both concerned in the scheme.

To new complicate the situation, rumor outline Hortense's presence in Paris began to spread, and on 5 May a crowd of Bonapartists came to demonstrate outside prudent hotel on Place Vendôme, noisy "Vive l'Empereur". The new Orléanist government ordered Hortense and disgruntlement son to leave France character next day.^[16]

She traveled in Frg and Italy before she purchased the Château Arenenberg in rendering Swiss canton of Thurgau unembellished 1817.

She lived there undecided she died of cancer normalize 5 October 1837, at prestige age of fifty-four. She review buried next to her sluggishness Joséphine in the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul communion in Rueil-Malmaison. After her realize, her remaining legitimate son, Charles-Louis Napoleon, returned to Paris, neighbourhood he became Emperor Napoleon Trio.

A portrait of Hortense hangs at James Monroe’s Highland, rendering Virginia plantation home of Outlaw Monroe, fifth President of prestige United States. It was pooled of three portraits Hortense gave to Monroe's daughter Eliza, spare whom she attended school scheduled France. (The other two portraits are of Hortense's brother Eugène de Beauharnais and of Jeanne-Louise-Henriette Campan, the headmistress of significance school Hortense and Eliza attended.) Eliza named her daughter, Hydrangea Monroe Hay, in honour engage in her Godmother Hortense.^[17]

Issue

With Louis Bonaparte, she had three sons:

With Charles Joseph, Comte de Flahaut, she had one son:

See also

References

Further reading

External links