When Napoleon married Josephine she was a widow with a 14 year old son Eugène and 12 year old daughter Hortense. (As Emperor ten years later, he officially adopted both children, who were adults at that stage.)
Shortly before she met Napoleon, Josephine had sent her daughter Hortense and her cousins to the exclusive girls’ school in Saint-Germain-en-Laye which had been opened the year before by Madame Campan, former lady of the bedchamber for Marie-Antoinette. It was there Hortense’ talent for music and art became evident. Napoleon later sent his sister Caroline to the same boarding school and the two girls became good friends.
Napoleon and Josephine had been married for five years without having a child. Napoleon decided to marry Hortense to his brother Louis. Josephine figured the pressure would be off her because Hortense and Louis could have a son who could become Napoleon’s heir. (The fact Josephine’s daughter was now her sister-in-law did not appear to be a problem.)
Hortense went along with her mother’s wishes even though she had no desire to marry Napoleon’s younger brother. She was 19 and Louis was 23. The same year their first son was born. He was named Napoleon Charles. Napoleon had every intention of making this child his heir, much to the displeasure of his brothers. Two years later Hortense gave birth to another son—Napoleon Louis.
The marriage was not at all happy. Napoleon knew it had been a political alliance and he did not blame Hortense. He knew his brother was quite difficult. Louis also suffered from ill health, apparently regularly having seizures.
After they had been married four years, Napoleon made Louis King of Holland. Hortense was now a Queen. The couple moved to Holland.
The following year Hortense’ elder son died there at the age of four and Hortense was allowed to return to France. Her husband Louis remained in Holland.
Two months after the death of their son, Hortense and Louis met up in Toulouse.
The brief meeting left Hortense pregnant. When the child was born prematurely, Louis initially refused to accept the child was his. Once again Napoleon took Hortense’ side.
The child was named Louis-Napoleon.
After Napoleon divorced Josephine, Hortense continued to maintain her position in the imperial court.
Hortense and Louis were once again together at Compiègne to greet Napoleon’s new wife Marie-Louise.
Three months later Louis was forced to abdicate as King of Holland. He sought asylum in Austria and did not attend his son’s baptism four months later at Fontainebleau Napoleon was the child’s godfather and his new wife Marie-Louise was the godmother. The child, who was named Louis-Napoleon, would become Napoleon III in 1852.
In the meantime, Hortense had taken up with a lover, the handsome Comte de Flahaut.
Charles de Flahaut was two years younger than Hortense and the polar opposite of her husband. He was tall, athletic and the ladies loved him—including two of Napoleon’s sisters. He had an affair with Hortense’ schoolfriend (Napoleon’s sister)Caroline. Caroline’s husband, General Murat, reassigned him.
Napoleon couldn’t understand the women. He agreed Flahaut was handsome, but couldn’t see how being a good singer made him a good soldier. Hortense, being a musician did not share his opinion.
Hortense’ 18 month long affair resulted in a pregnancy which she managed to hide when she had to attend the christening of Napoleon and Marie-Louise’ son.
Shortly after she left Paris, “needing to travel to see her brother Eugène“. He and Josephine were aware of the situation. Hortense gave birth to a baby boy in Switzerland. Josephine had one of her officers, Auguste Demorny and his wife register the birth of “their” baby in Paris a month later.
The child, like most children of the nobility, was initially brought up by paid child minders in the countryside. From the age of three, he went to live with the Comte de Flahaut’s mother. Hortense paid for his education but saw him only once, when he was 18.
The Comte de Flahaut continued to serve in the army with Napoleon. He was there at Waterloo and was prepared to follow him into his final exile on St Helena.
Hortense’ youngest son became the President of France in 1848 and then in 1851 declared himself Emperor Napoleon III. He recognised his half brother who was known as the Count of Morny and involved him in the government as well as making him the Duke of Morny.
Napoleon III also reached out to his mother’s former lover and Charles de Flahaut was made the Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour. Charles de Flahaut died at 85, the same night Napoleon III lost the battle of Sedan which ended his Empire.
When Napoleon was exiled the first time, thanks to Josephine’s lobbying, the Russian Tsar Alexander became Hortense’ protector (some say lover).
He forced the new Bourbon King Louis XVIII to make Hortense’s property at Saint Leu a duchy so that she would be a duchess in the new royal court.
The Hector Viger painting of the Tsar with Josephine, her son Eugène, daughter Hortense and Hortense’ two surviving sons is displayed in Josephine’s salon at Malmaison, where the scene is depicted as having taken place.
The little boy in white next to Josephine is her grandson, the future Napoleon III who would later buy the chateau of Malmaison.
Napoleon returned to France from his first exile on Elba. Josephine had died during his absence. He was not happy with the Hortense’ involvement with his enemy, but he remained fond of her and she was forgiven and returned to the Imperial court.
When he lost at Waterloo, Hortense hosted Napoleon for his last few days at Malmaison before going to his final exile on Saint Helena. Hortense also had to leave France. She settled in a chateau she bought in Switzerland. She died there twenty years later.
Her sons became politically active in Italy. The elder surviving child, Louis Napoleon, died there at the age of 26. Hortense died in six years later, having no idea her youngest son would become Emperor Napoleon III and that one of her many musical compositions would become the French national anthem under his rule.
Hortense knew she was dying in Switzerland (she was 54 and had cancer of the uterus). She requested that her body be returned to France to be with her mother at the Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul church at Rueil Malmaison.
A year later the French government granted permission and her body was returned to the church in France as she wished.
Napoleon III ordered a new tomb for his mother, with an angel standing guard over her. As a reminder of her skills as a musician, she has a lyre. The magnificent tomb is dedicated to “Queen Hortense” and is on the wall opposite her mother’s tomb.
