Beauharnais, (EugÉNie-) Hortense De

(born April 10, 1783, Paris, France—died Oct. 5, 1837, Arenenberg, Switz.) French-born queen of Holland (1806–10).

Daughter of Joséphine and Alexandre, viscount de Beauharnais, and stepdaughter of Napoleon, Hortense married Napoleon's brother, Louis Bonaparte. When he became king of Holland, she was named queen. The marriage was unhappy but produced three children, including the future Napoleon III. When Napoleon was exiled in 1814, Hortense became the centre of Bonapartist intrigue, and her support of Napoleon during his return led to her banishment from France in 1815, after which she settled in Switzerland.