Hydrangea Beauharnais - a very famous person in French history. Being the stepdaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte herself, she managed to experience both the glory of his victories and the bitterness of defeat. Her life story is a series of difficult trials and tragic twists of fate, which she was able to surpass with pride.
Hydrangea Beauharnais: a biography of the early years
Hydrangea was born in 1783 in the family of the then-famous viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais. However, the father did not recognize the daughter. He was sure that his wife Josephine was constantly cheating on him and this child could not be the fruit of their love. Therefore, he soon refused a family vow, leaving them to their fate.
Fortunately, her mother was able to fend for herself, which allowed them to hold out until 1796. It was during this period that she met a young and ambitious general named Napoleon Bonaparte. Soon they get married, and the new father happily adopts children from a previous marriage.
Marriage for the calculation of a new father
Upon reaching adulthood, Hortense Beauharnais marries Napoleon's younger brother, Louis. Naturally, it was the idea of the father. He needed a similar step in order to strengthen his position among relatives and prevent them from betraying themselves at the most crucial moment. The wedding itself took place on January 4, 1801.
It should be noted that this marriage was not happy. Even reconciled with the will of the parents, the young couple could not love each other. Nevertheless, their union will bring the world three wonderful sons. The smallest of them, Carl Louis Napoleon, will subsequently become Napoleon III - the last emperor of France.
Happy Days
In 1804, Hortense Bogarne and her husband bought the palace of Saint-Le. This property for many years becomes their home, filled with joyful memories. It is here that a still very young girl will be able to calmly raise children, arrange lush balls and enjoy quiet walks along the well-groomed alleys.
In addition, two years after their move, the husband of Hortense Louis becomes the king of Holland. True, he could hold this title only for four years. The thing is that in 1810 this country was subjected to the annexation of France. Naturally, after this the power in the country passes into the hands of those who were closer in spirit to the invaders. But even after this, Hortense Bogarne will not leave his mansion. Only after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 did she hastily leave this country.
Last years
After the final failure of the stepfather in the political arena, Hortensia Beauharnais in a hurry is looking for a new refuge. In 1817, she settled in Switzerland, where she lived until 1831. At this moment, the saddest period of her life begins, as her son Napoleon Louis is killed during the Italian rebellion. After these tragic events, she briefly moved to England, but soon returned to Switzerland again. Here she dies on October 5, 1837.
Historical appearance
What did Hydrangea Beauharnais look like? The photo of this woman, of course, is not, as the first camera will appear only 20 years after her death. But to this day, the portrait of a girl painted by Francois Gerard is well preserved.
Based on it, we can safely judge that Hortense was not beautiful, but still had a very attractive appearance. In addition, her external data was more than compensated by intelligence. After all, it was not in vain that Napoleon Bonaparte himself often liked to talk with her about life. On the whole, her historical image is very ambiguous: some describe her as a vicious lady, while others constantly repeat her piety. Which of them is right? Alas, today it is rather a rhetorical question, since the answer to it has long sunk into oblivion.