I thought that with all of the news about the Napoleon movie spreading quickly, there was no better time to turn back to France for our first Consort of the Month of 2024. Empress Josephine is in the news, and I will always celebrate the spotlight turning to historical figures. Interestingly, this Empress did not hold the title for that long but she still made an incredible impact on her spouse. (A short marriage does not make her life any less interesting.) For our January 2024 Consort of the Month: Empress Josephine!
Consort of the Month: Empress Josephine Fast Facts
Birth Date: 23 June 1763
Death Date: 29 May 1814
Tenure (Empress): 18 May 1804 to 10 January 1810
Birth Name: Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie
Spouse: Napoleon I, Emperor of France (second husband)
House: Tascher de La Pagerie
Father: Joseph Gaspard Tascher de La Pagerie
Mother: Rose Claire des Vergers de Sannois
Why Do We Know Empress Josephine
If you aren’t interested in Revolutionary France, you may not know much about Josephine. However, Ridley Scott’s film about Napoleon has brought quite a bit of attention Josephine’s way. I’ve not seen it and cannot comment on the film, but the actress playing Josephine (Vanessa Kirby) is significantly younger than the actor playing Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix), inverting their relationship.
Empress Josephine’s Early Life
Known as Rose for the first several decades of her life, Josephine was born as Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie on the island of Martinique in 1763. Her father, Joseph, was a member of the landed gentry (landowners), and her mother, Rose, was a member of one of the most-established European families on Martinique.
She had two sisters, Catherine-Désirée and Marie-Françoise. The two older sisters attended a Benedictine boarding school on Martinique where they learned acceptable topics for girls of the time: embroidery, reading, writing, dancing, and singing.
An Early Marriage
In December 1779, Josephine married Alexandre de Beauharnais. Her aunt was the mistress of a naval officer, and Alexandre was his son (not by her aunt). He was originally meant to marry her younger sister, Catherine-Désirée, but she had died and Josephine was accepted in her stead. They lived in France and had a son, Eugène de Beauharnais, in 1781, and a daughter, Hortense de Beauharnais, in 1783. The marriage was not a particularly happy one, and they largely led separate lives with Alexandre abandoning the family at one point followed by a court-ordered separation.
The Revolution Changes Everything
In March of 1794 (during the Reign of Terror), Alexander was arrested and in the following month, Josephine was arrested for her close connections. On 23 July, Alexandre met a swift death when he was guillotined after being found guilty of poorly defending France during his military career. Luckily, Josephine was released a few days after his death, and over the next few years, she was able to claim much of Alexandre’s property.
Josephine had relationships with several different politicians after her husband’s death. However, meeting Napoleon Bonaparte in 1795 changed the trajectory of her life. Josephine was six years older than Napoleon, which they would try to obscure later on. He fell for Josephine quickly and the couple married on 9 March 1796, much to the dismay of his family.
Napoleon spent much of his time travelling with the army, and had at least one mistress during his time away. Their relationship would change after this.
Empress… For Now
In June of 1804, Napoleon was elected Emperor of the French, meaning that Josephine became Empress of the French. Napoleon created a new coronation ceremony that was not like that of the French Kings before, and one large difference was that both Napoleon and Josephine were crowned at the same time. (In many other coronation ceremonies, the monarch will complete all traditions and be crowned, and then the spouse will follow separately.)
During her second marriage, Josephine used her acquired social status and funds to become a well-established patroness of the arts. She supported several different painters and sculptors, in addition to amassing a sizeable art collection.
However, one glaring issue in the marriage was the lack of heirs. Although Josephine clearly had been able to have children in her first marriage, she did not produce an heir for Napoleon. He understood how crucial an heir is, and begrudgingly moved to divorce her despite still being in love with her.
Duchess of Navarre
Josephine and Napoleon formally divorced on 10 January 1810. It is unlike many divorces even to this day, as they held a widely-attended ceremony where they both declared their love and devotion. Although she technically kept the title of Empress, she became the Duchess of Navarre after the divorce.
She lived outside of Paris, though she remained a very popular figure in society for the remainder of her life. Josephine died of pneumonia on 29 May 1814; when Napoleon learned of her death, he was inconsolable.
Empress Josephine: Interesting Facts
– Napoleon preferred calling her Josephine despite all of her family and friends calling her Rose.
– Josephine was good friends with Tsar Alexander I of Russia.
– Despite being a popular person in French society, Napoleon’s mother and sisters largely dislike Josephine.
– A set of Josephine’s jewels (including a tiara) were auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2021.
Interested in more book previews, period dramas, royal news, and more? You can subscribe to my biweekly substack newsletter here: https://substack.com/profile/34734695-anhistorian-abouttown!
Further Readings on Empress Josephine of France
Erickson, Carolly. Josephine : A Life of the Empress. Robson Books. 2004.
Williams, Kate. Ambition and Desire: The Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte. McClelland & Stewart. 2014.
Looking for my earlier Consort of the Month posts? Read about:
Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Queen Marie Antoinette
Catherine de Medici
Queen Adelaide
Catherine de Valois
Marie de Guise
Queen Alexandra of Denmark
I hope you have enjoyed Consort of the Month: Empress Josephine!
Cheers,
The Historian
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