the middle son of Louis I of Holland and Hortense de Beauharnais. His father was the younger brother of Napoléon I and reigned as King of Holland from 1806 to 1810, while his mother was the daughter of Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoléon's first wife. He was the older brother of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, future Emperor Napoleon III. In 1809, Napoléon I appointed him as Grand Duke of Berg, a status he kept until 1813. On 1 July 1810, Louis I of Holland abdicated his throne in favour of Napoléon Louis.
