biography
| name: |
Verhuell, Carel Hendrik, Count
|
pronunciation:
[verhül]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1764–1845)
|
| biography:
| Dutch naval officer, born in Doetinchem, E Netherlands. He fought in the Battle of Dogger Bank (1781), was burgomaster of Doetinghem (1802), and in 1805 became navy minister of the Batavian Republic. He was pro-French and favoured Napoleon's ‘continental system’. As ambassador in Paris (1809) he was a close friend of Hortense de Beauharnais and the alleged father of Napoleon III. Later in 1809 he commanded the Schelde and Maas fleet, supported the annexation of The Netherlands by France in 1810, became commander of the N ports, and in 1813 refused to surrender Den Helder to King William I. In 1815 he adopted French nationality and became inspector-general of the French navy. He was made a count by Louis Napoleon and his name appears on the Arc de Triomphe. In 1843 William II made him a knight of the Militaire Willems-Orde for his conduct in the Battle of Dogger Bank. |
|
|
