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: • Albéric Jules Albert de Beauharnais (23 August 1787 – 1791), who died in infancy •
Stéphanie de Beauharnais (28 August 1789 – 29 January 1860), 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 (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==