Joséphine de Beauharnais

Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress of the French from 1804 until their divorce in 1810.

Napoleon Bonaparte: Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who became emperor of the French in 1804. Their marriage made Joséphine empress and tied her fortunes to Napoleon’s rise.
Martinique: Martinique is a Caribbean island that was a French colony during Joséphine’s lifetime. She was born there into a French colonial family.
Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814): The Treaty of Fontainebleau of 1814 ended Napoleon’s rule and sent him into exile on Elba. Joséphine’s former husband was deposed just four years after their divorce.
Empress of the French: Empress of the French was the consort title held by the wife of the French emperor. Joséphine was the first woman to hold the title under Napoleon’s empire.
Alexandre de Beauharnais: Alexandre de Beauharnais was a French aristocrat and politician executed during the Reign of Terror. Joséphine’s first husband, he was the father of her two children.
French Revolution: The French Revolution was a period of political upheaval beginning in 1789 that ended the monarchy and transformed France. The Revolution dismantled the social order in which Joséphine had been raised.
Malmaison: Château de Malmaison is a French estate near Paris associated with Joséphine de Beauharnais. After the divorce, she retained Malmaison as her residence and cultivated its gardens.
Empire style: Empire style is an early nineteenth-century design style associated with Napoleon’s French Empire. Joséphine’s court helped establish the style’s fashions and decorative taste.
Eugène de Beauharnais: Eugène de Beauharnais was Joséphine’s son, Napoleon’s adopted heir, and viceroy of Italy. Napoleon’s adoption of her son secured Eugène’s place in the imperial family.
Reign of Terror: The Reign of Terror was a phase of the French Revolution from 1793 to 1794 marked by mass executions and political repression. Joséphine was imprisoned during this period, and her first husband was executed.

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