Claude de Beauharnais (1756–1819)

Claude de Beauharnais
Born(1756-09-26)26 September 1756
Died10 January 1819(1819-01-10) (aged 62)
Known forPolitician
Spouses
  • Claudine Françoise Adrienne Gabrielle de Lézay-Marnézia
  • Sophie Fortin Duplessis
ChildrenAlbéric Jules Albert
Stéphanie de Beauharnais
Josephine de Beauharnais
Parent(s)Claude de Beauharnais
Marie-Anne-Françoise Mouchard
Coat of arms of Claude de Beauharnais

Claude de Beauharnais, 2nd count des Roches-Baritaud (French pronunciation: [klod boaʁnɛ]; 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), 1st comte des Roches-Baritaud (uncle of Alexandre de Beauharnais and of François VI de Beauharnais) and his wife Marie-Anne-Françoise Mouchard de la Garde. His mother held a famous salon in Paris.

He married twice. He first married on 17 June 1786 to Claudine Françoise Adrienne Gabrielle de Lézay-Marnézia (Moutonne, Jura, 5 April 1768 - Saint-Julien-sur-Suran, 9 August 1791), by whom he had two children:

He remarried in 1799 to Sophie Fortin Duplessis (7 February 1775 – 20 May 1850), and they had one child:

  • Joséphine 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