Claude de Beauharnais (1756–1819)
| Claude de Beauharnais | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 September 1756 La Rochelle |
| Died |
10 January 1819 (aged 62) Paris |
| Known for | Politician |
| Spouse(s) |
Claudine Françoise Adrienne Gabrielle de Lézay-Marnézia Sophie Fortin Duplessis |
| Children |
Albéric Jules Albert Stéphanie de Beauharnais Josephine de Beauharnais |
| Parent(s) |
Claude de Beauharnais Marie-Anne-Françoise Mouchard |
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Claude de Beauharnais (26 September 1756, La Rochelle – 10 January 1819, Paris) was a French politician.
Life
Family
He was the son of Claude de Beauharnais (1717–1784), comte of Les Roches-Baritaud (uncle of Alexandre de Beauharnais and of François de Beauharnais) and his wife Fanny. His mother held a famous salon in Paris.
He married twice. The first time was in 1783 to Claudine Françoise Adrienne Gabrielle de Lézay-Marnézia, by whom he had one son, Albéric Jules Albert de Beauharnais (23.08.1787–1791), who died in infancy, and one daughter, Stéphanie de Beauharnais (born 28 August 1789 – 1859), who became the adoptive daughter of Napoleon I, married Karl, Grand Duke of Baden, and died as dowager grand-duchess. He remarried in 1799 to Sophie Fortin Duplessis (1775–1850), and they had only one child, Josephine de Beauharnais (11 December 1803 – 14 November 1871).
Military career
He joined the army early and was a captain in the régiment des gardes françaises at the outbreak of the French Revolution.
Political career
On 5 pluviôse year XII he was made president of the electoral college of the Vendée département, also becoming a Sénat conservateur on 1 floréal year XII. He was made a member of the Légion d'honneur on the following 25 prairial.
Napoleon I granted him the sénatorerie of Amiens on 16 March 1806. He was made comte de l'Empire on 6 June 1808.
In 1810, he became a member of the conseil d'administration of the Sénat conservateur, a chevalier d'honneur of empress Marie-Louise and grand cross of the ordre de la Fidélité (on 24 February). On 30 June 1811 he became a grand-officer of the Légion d'honneur.
On the Bourbon Restoration, Louis XVIII added to the honours Claude had received under Napoleon, including Pair de France on 4 June 1814. In the trial of Marshal Ney, Claude voted for his death.
Sources
- Dictionnaire Bouillet
- "Claude de Beauharnais", in Adolphe Robert, Edgar Bourloton and Gaston Cougny, Dictionnaire des parlementaires français (1789–1891), XIXe siècle
- Genealogy of the Beauharnais dynasty