Hortense de Beauharnais facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hortense de Beauharnais |
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| Duchess of Saint-Leu | |
Queen Hortense with her second son, Prince Napoléon Louis. Portrait by François Gérard, 1807
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| Queen consort of Holland | |
| Tenure | 5 June 1806 – 1 July 1810 |
| Born | 10 April 1783 Paris, France |
| Died | 5 October 1837 (aged 54) Arenenberg, Thurgau, Switzerland |
| Burial | St Pierre-St Paul Church, Rueil-Malmaison, France |
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| House | Beauharnais |
| Father | Alexandre de Beauharnais |
| Mother | Joséphine Tascher de la Pagerie |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Royal styles of Queen Hortense of Holland |
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| Reference style | Her Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte (born de Beauharnais; 10 April 1783 – 5 October 1837) was a queen. She was the Queen consort of Holland. Hortense was the stepdaughter of Emperor Napoléon I. Her mother, Joséphine de Beauharnais, was Napoléon's first wife.
Hortense later married Napoléon I’s brother, Louis Bonaparte. Louis became the King of Holland, which made Hortense the sister-in-law of her stepfather. She was the mother of Napoléon III, who became Emperor of the French. She also had two other sons: Louis II of Holland, and Napoléon Louis Charles Bonaparte, who sadly died at age four. Hortense also had another son, Charles, Duke of Morny, from a later relationship.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte was born in Paris, France, on 10 April 1783. Her parents were Alexandre de Beauharnais and Joséphine de Beauharnais. When she was five, her parents separated. Hortense lived in Martinique for five years.
Her father was executed on 23 July 1794 during the French Revolution. This happened just before the end of the Reign of Terror. Her mother was put in prison but was released on 6 August 1794. Two years later, her mother married Napoléon Bonaparte.
Hortense was a fun and pretty child. She had long, pale golden-blonde hair and blue eyes. She went to school at Madame Jeanne Campan's school in St-Germain-en-Laye. Napoléon's youngest sister, Caroline Bonaparte, also went to this school. Hortense was sent to boarding school because her mother, Josephine, felt she didn't have enough time to raise children.
At school, Hortense learned to love art and music. She became a talented amateur musician and composer. She even wrote exciting marches for her stepfather's army, like Partant pour la Syrie. She also enjoyed playing games, especially billiards.
In 1802, Napoléon asked Hortense to marry his brother, Louis Bonaparte. Hortense was not sure about marrying him. But her mother convinced her to agree. This marriage was important for the family's political future.
Becoming Queen of Holland
In 1806, Napoléon made his brother Louis the King of Holland. Hortense went with her husband to The Hague. Hortense was not happy about becoming Queen of Holland for two reasons. First, she had to move to Holland with Louis, and they did not get along well. Second, she had to leave her exciting life in Paris. She had hoped to be "a Queen of Holland in Paris," but Napoléon did not agree. She finally had to leave for the Netherlands and arrived there on 18 June 1806.
Queen Hortense was surprised by how warmly the Dutch people welcomed her. She quickly got used to life in the Netherlands and began to like the country. She went to official events and visited markets, where she bought many things. The public liked her a lot, which annoyed her husband. She learned water-colour painting and explored the countryside.
However, she still disliked her time there because of her difficult relationship with King Louis. They lived in different parts of the palace and avoided each other. Hortense felt like a prisoner. She also refused to give up her French citizenship and become Dutch, as Louis had done.
In 1807, her first son died. After this, she was allowed to stay in France. The climate there was thought to be better for raising her other son, Louis-Napoléon. She stayed in France until 1810. She enjoyed being a queen at the French court. In 1810, Napoléon married Marie Louise of Austria.
This meant Hortense had to return to the Netherlands and try to get along with her husband. When Napoleon married Marie Louise, Hortense went back to the Netherlands for a short time. But she found that the Dutch people did not welcome her anymore. She felt this was the end of her marriage. She left for France shortly before her husband gave up his throne to their oldest living son, Napoleon-Louis Bonaparte. This made him Louis II of Holland.
Interests and Family Life
After her marriage ended, Hortense had a son named Charles Auguste Louis Joseph. He was born in 1811 in Switzerland. Only her brother Eugène, her close friends, and Charles's mother knew about the birth. Hortense said she was in Switzerland for her health.
Composer and Artist
Hortense de Beauharnais discovered her love for music while at boarding school. She became a talented amateur composer. She was also a very good singer and pianist. Her singing teacher was Plantade.
One of her most famous songs was "Partant pour la Syrie." This song was very popular around 1810. It became popular again in France after 1852. While her stepfather, Napoleon, ruled France, Hortense wrote marches. Some of her songs were even sung by French soldiers.
After Napoleon was defeated, Hortense was sent away from France. She wrote many musical pieces, including 12 Romances for her brother Eugene. Even though she was banished, Hortense's home was a place for French art and culture. Many famous artists like Franz Liszt, Alexandre Dumas, and Lord Byron visited her. They listened to her play the piano.
Hortense's most famous song, "Partant pour la Syrie," became the national anthem of France. Her son, Emperor Napoleon III, made it the anthem later. French composer Camille Saint-Saëns even used a part of "Partant pour la Syrie" in his famous work, "Carnival of the Animals."
A collection of her writings, art, and music can be found in her "Livre d’art de la reine Hortense."
Charities and Kindness
Hortense was known for giving many donations to the poor. She was also very popular among them. In her memoirs, she wrote about giving money to people in need. She said, "John, look at all this money granny gave me for the poor black people. Take me round to their cabins so I can give it to them." This shows her kind heart.
Later Years and Legacy
After the Bourbon Restoration in 1814, Hortense received protection from Alexander I of Russia. Because of him, King Louis XVIII gave her the title of Duchess of Saint-Leu on 30 May 1814. However, during the Hundred Days, Hortense supported her stepfather and brother-in-law Napoléon. This led to her being banished from France after his final defeat.
During her banishment, Hortense focused on writing her memoirs. She also composed and published her musical works. She spent time drawing and painting. Her home became a center for French art and culture. Famous artists, composers, and writers were all interested in visiting the banished queen in Switzerland.
Even though she lived in Switzerland, Hortense stayed involved in her sons’ lives. When one of her sons, Napoleon-Louis (Louis II of Holland), died in an Italian revolt, she helped her other son, Charles-Louis Napoleon, escape to Paris.
She traveled in Germany and Italy. In 1817, she bought the Château Arenenberg in the Swiss canton of Thurgau. She lived there until she died of cancer on 5 October 1837. She was fifty-four years old. She is buried next to her mother Joséphine in the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church in Rueil-Malmaison.
After her death, her son Charles-Louis Napoleon returned to Paris. He later became Emperor Napoleon III. With his new power, Napoleon III made his mother’s popular song, “Partant pour la Syrie,” a national anthem of France.
A portrait of Hortense hangs at James Monroe’s Highland. This is the Virginia home of James Monroe, who was the fifth President of the United States. Hortense gave this portrait, and two others, to Monroe's daughter Eliza. Eliza went to school with Hortense in France. Eliza's daughter, Hortensia Monroe Hay, was named after Hortense.
Hortense's Children
With Louis Bonaparte she had three sons:
- Napoléon Louis Charles Bonaparte (born 10 October 1802, died 5 May 1807). He died at the age of four.
- Napoléon Louis Bonaparte (born 11 October 1804, died 17 March 1831). He married Charlotte Napoléone Bonaparte on 23 July 1826.
- Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, who later became Napoleon III (born 20 April 1808, died 9 January 1873). He married Eugénie de Palafox, Countess of Montijo on 29 January 1853. They had one son.
Hortense also had one son with Charles Joseph, Comte de Flahaut:
- Charles Auguste Louis Joseph (born 21 October 1811, died 10 March 1865). His half-brother, Napoléon III, made him the Duke of Morny in 1862.
See also
In Spanish: Hortensia de Beauharnais para niños
