Louis I
King Lodewijk I (a.k.a. Louis Bonaparte)
Louis Bonaparte was the first King of Holland after the establishment of the country in 1806 to his death in 1846. He was appointed by his brother, Napoleon Bonaparte, as a puppet king. However, Louis took his capacity to heart, and attempted to integrate into the Dutch culture, learning the language and going by the Dutch form of his name, Lodewijk. He proclaimed himself Dutch rather than French, put his subject's interests over that of France, and became hands on with humanitarian and disaster relief efforts. His actions earned him the respect of the Dutch court to the annoyance of Napoleon.
His wife, Queen Hortense, opposed this greatly. The marriage between the two was contentious from the start, and they made all attempts to avoid each other.
Louis was initially hesitant to fully oppose Napoleon. However, he later gained a private correspondence with Augustus II through their wives' close friendship. Holland became a member of the Fifth Coalition and provided successful landfall of British and American forces. This led to a victory of the coalition forces at the Battle of Antwerp. The stalemate of the war secured Holland's independence in the preceding treaty, giving immediate praise from the Dutch people.
His resolve was reinforced when Napoleon subsequently held Queen Hortense and his two surviving children hostage. When their escape was arranged, he welcomed them back into his protection. Though the two would never have a loving marriage, the two became more amicable after the ordeal.
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