French Nobility, German royalty. Stephanie Louise Adrienne was the daughter of Claude de Beauharnais, 2nd Count of Roches-Baritaud and his second wife Claudine Françoise Adrienne Gabrielle de Lézay-Marnézia. When her uncle's widow, Josephine de Beauharnais, married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796, the Beauharnais family came under Bonaparte's patronage. After Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France, Stephanie enjoyed a life of luxury in the Tuileries Palace as a prominent member of the Bonaparte extended family. Napoleon, in an effort to secure an alliance with the Prince-Elector of Baden, negotiated a marriage contract between the Prince-Elector's grandson and heir and a member of his own family. Lacking any legitimate daughters, Napoleon adopted Stephanie, creating her Princesse Française. On April 8, 1806 she married Prince Karl Ludwig Friedrich of Baden, despite the protests of her groom and his female relatives. The couple lived apart for the first two years of their marriage. It wasn't until Karl became co-regent that the couple reconciled somewhat in order to provide heirs. Karl became Grand Duke and ruler of Baden in 1811, the same year Stephanie gave birth to their first child, a daughter. Four more children followed, but unfortunately both of their sons died in infancy. Their surviving daughters were Princess Luise Amelie, Princess Josephine Friederike, and Princess Marie Amelie. The Grand Duke died on December 8, 1818. Dowager Grand Duchess Stephanie never remarried, and was a devoted mother to her daughters. Her home at Mannheim became a popular salon among artists and intellectuals of the day. Stephanie died in Nice at the age of 71, having outlived her husband by 41 years. She was returned to Baden to rest beside him. Stephanie's current royal descendants include the King of the Belgians, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Prince Albert II of Monaco.