Editing Hortense de Beauharnais (section)

==Early life==

Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte was born in [[Paris]], [[Kingdom of France|France]], on 10 April 1783. She was born as the second child and first daughter to [[Alexandre de Beauharnais|Alexandre François Marie, ''Vicomte de Beauharnais'']], and [[Joséphine Tascher de la Pagerie]]. Her parents separated when she was five years old and, between the ages of five and ten, she was sent to live in [[Martinique]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/biographies/beauharnais-hortense-de/|title=Beauharnais, Hortense de|last=Beaucour|first=Fernand|date=October 2007|website=Napoleon}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Bonaparte |first=Queen Hortense Eugénie Cécile |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r0aQCwAAQBAJ |title=The Memoirs of Queen Hortense |date=2016-01-27 |publisher=Pickle Partners Publishing |isbn=978-1-78625-838-0 |language=en}}</ref> Her father was executed on 23 July 1794, at the time of the [[French Revolution]], a few days before the end of the [[Reign of Terror]]. Her mother was imprisoned in the Carmelites’ prison, from which she was released on 6 August 1794, due to the intervention of her friend [[Thérèse Tallien]]. Two years later, her mother married [[Napoléon Bonaparte]].

Hortense was described as having been an amusing and pretty child with long, pale golden-blonde hair and blue eyes. She received her education at the school of Madame [[Jeanne Campan]] in [[St-Germain-en-Laye]] together with Napoléon's youngest sister [[Caroline Bonaparte]], who later married Joachim Murat. She was sent to boarding school when her mother, Josephine, decided that she did not have enough time to raise children.<ref name=":0" /> There, she developed a love for fine art and music.<ref name=":1" /> Hortense was an accomplished amateur musical composer and supplied the army of her stepfather with rousing marches, including [[Partant pour la Syrie]]. She also enjoyed playing games and excelled at [[billiards]] particularly.

In 1802, at Napoléon's request, Hortense married his brother [[Louis Bonaparte]]. Hortense was reluctant to marry at first, but her mother persuaded her to accept the proposal for the political wellbeing and prosperity of the family.