Joséphine de Beauharnais

Full Name: Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie
Profession: Empress of the French

Nationality:

Biography: Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and the first Empress of the French.

Joséphine's was born in the colony of Martinique where she lived a life of relative comfort and colonial luxury, although it was not without its hardships, including a devastating hurricane that left her family in financial ruin.

In 1779, she married Alexandre de Beauharnais, with whom she moved to France. The marriage was tumultuous and ended in separation, but it bore two children, Eugène and Hortense. He was executed during the Reign of Terror.

Imprisoned during the Revolution but released five days after Alexandre's execution, Joséphine emerged as a prominent social figure in post-revolutionary France. She caught the eye of Napoleon Bonaparte, a young and ambitious military leader. They married in March of 1796.

Joséphine became Empress when Napoleon declared himself Emperor of the French in 1804. Her grace and style were synonymous with the imperial court, and she played a key role in cultivating the arts and fashion of the era.

Despite this, their marriage was challenged by political pressures and personal tribulations, notably their inability to produce an heir, which was a source of profound distress for Napoleon, who was obsessed with his dynastic legacy.

In 1810, under the heavy weight of state matters and the need for a male successor, Napoleon made the difficult decision to divorce Joséphine. The divorce was amicable, and Napoleon provided for her and declared her "Empress for life," allowing her to keep the title of Empress Joséphine.

She lived out her remaining years at the Château de Malmaison, her personal residence near Paris, which she had carefully cultivated into a place of botanical and artistic wonder, particularly renowned for its rose garden.

Born: June 23, 1763
Birthplace: Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique, French Antilles
Star Sign: Cancer

Died: May 29, 1814 (aged 50)
Cause of Death: Pneumonia