by Scott Mehl    © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Emperor Napoleon III of the French. source: Wikipedia

Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, was the last monarch of France, reigning from 1852 until 1870. He was born Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (but typically known as Louis-Napoléon) in Paris, France on April 20, 1808. His parents were Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland (younger brother of Emperor Napoleon I) and Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Emperor Napoleon’s first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais and her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais. He had two elder siblings:

• Napoléon Louis Charles Bonaparte (1802 – 1807) – died in childhood
• Napoléon Louis Bonaparte, King Louis II of Holland (1804 – 1831) – married his first cousin Charlotte Bonaparte, no issue

Louis-Napoléon’s christening took place at the Palace of Fontainebleau in France on November 4, 1810 – over two years after his birth – with Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Marie Louise serving as his godparents.

Following Emperor Napoleon’s defeat at the  Battle of Waterloo and the subsequent Bourbon Restoration, all members of the Bonaparte family were forced to leave France. Louis-Napoleon and his mother settled in Switzerland, where Hortense purchased Schloss Arenberg. Louis-Napoleon studied for some time in Augsburg, Bavaria, and developed a slight German accent that would remain for the rest of his life.

In 1823, the family moved to Rome, and Louis-Napoleon became involved with the Carbonari, fighting against Austria’s presence in northern Italy. Forced to flee in 1831, he soon made his way back to France, traveling incognito with his mother – using the name Hamilton – and arrived in Paris on April 31, 1831. In a secret meeting, the French King Louis-Philippe permitted them to remain in Paris, provided they remained incognito, and their stay was brief. However, their identities were soon discovered, and they were forced to leave the city just a week later, and made their way back to Switzerland.

Louis-Napoléon joined the Swiss Army and began writing about his political views. After an unsuccessful coup attempt in October 1836, King Louis Philippe demanded that he be turned over to France, but the Swiss government refused as he was a Swiss citizen. He later traveled to London, Brazil, and New York, and returned to Switzerland in the fall of 1837 to be at his mother’s deathbed. After the death of his mother Hortense on October 5, 1837, Louis-Napoleon spent some time at Schloss Arenberg before returning to London the following year. He soon began plans for another attempt to take the French throne. Sailing to Boulogne in 1840, he was quickly arrested. A quick trial took place and he was sentenced to life in prison in the fortress of Ham. While imprisoned, he spent much time writing – publishing essays and articles in numerous newspapers and magazines throughout France. Still hoping to fulfill his quest to claim the French throne, he managed to escape from Ham in May 1846.  While renovations were being made to his cell, he disguised himself as one of the workers and walked right out through the main gates. Following his escape, he quickly made his way back to England. The next month, his father died, leaving Louis-Napoleon as the sole heir to the Bonaparte dynasty.

The French Revolution of 1848 led to the abdication of King Louis-Philippe, and the declaration of the Second Republic. Louis-Napoleon quickly left for France, while the deposed King went into exile in England. Ignoring his advisers who urged him to seize power, Louis-Napoleon instead declared his loyalty to the Republic and returned to London where he closely watched events unfold in his homeland. In September of that year, he was elected to the French National Assembly and returned to Paris as the country prepared to elect the first President of the French Republic. He immediately threw his hat into the ring, and on December 20, 1848, was declared the winner of the election. Taking the title Prince-President, Louis-Napoleon took up residence at the Élysée Palace.

After a failed attempt to change the law which would have required him to step down at the end of his 4-year term, Louis-Napoleon soon saw a chance to take power by force. In December 1851, with the support of several military generals, Louis-Napoleon’s forces took control of the national printing office and newspaper offices. Posters were quickly put up announcing the dissolution of the National Assembly, the return of universal suffrage, and new elections. Quickly overpowering his opponents, Louis-Napoleon established himself as the sole source of rule within France – supported by a referendum held in December 1851, in which the overwhelming majority of voters agreed to his claim of power.

Not content with being simply a Prince-President, he arranged for the Senate to schedule another referendum to decide if he should be declared Emperor. On December 2, 1852, following an overwhelming vote in his favor, the Second Republic ended and the Second French Empire was declared. Louis-Napoleon took the throne as Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. He quickly made the Tuileries Palace in Paris his official residence.

Napoleon with his wife and son, c1862. source: Wikipedia

After being turned down by Princess Carola of Vasa (daughter of the deposed Swedish King Gustaf IV Adolf), and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (a niece of Queen Victoria), Napoleon III found his future bride – Eugénie de Montijo, Countess of Teba and Marquise of Ardales. The two had first met in 1849 at a reception at the Eylsée Palace. Just weeks after becoming Emperor, Napoleon announced the couple’s engagement, and they were married a week later. A civil ceremony was held on January 29, 1853, at the Tuileries Palace, followed by a religious ceremony on January 30, 1853, at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. They had one son:

• Napoléon, Prince Imperial (1856 – 1879), unmarried, died in 1879 while fighting in the Anglo-Zulu War

The early years of Napoleon’s reign saw a very heavily censored press, and a Legislature that was almost unanimous in their support.  By the early 1860s, censorship had been eased and a more liberal regime emerged.  The Emperor improved conditions for the poor and made sure that education was mandatory and free for all French citizens.  He promoted industry and banking, developed the rail system throughout France, and worked to build strong political and economic relationships with the United Kingdom and other allies throughout Europe.

In July 1870, France entered the Franco-Prussian War. Without significant allied support, and with unprepared and limited forces, the French army was quickly defeated. Emperor Napoleon was captured at the Battle of Sedan and quickly surrendered on September 1, 1870. As word reached Paris, the Third Republic was declared on September 4, 1870, ending – for the last time – the French monarchy. Emperor Napoleon was held by the Prussians in a castle in Wilhelmshöhe, near Kassel. It wasn’t until peace was established between France and Germany that he was released in March 1871, and quickly went into exile. Arriving in England on March 20, 1871, Napoleon and his family settled at Camden Place, a large country house in Chislehurst, England.

The last known photo of Emperor Napoleon III, 1872. source: Wikipedia

After falling ill in the summer of 1872, and undergoing two operations, Emperor Napoleon III died at his home Camden Place on January 9, 1873. He was initially buried at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chislehurst, but in 1888, his remains were moved to the Imperial Crypt at St. Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire, England.

Sarcophagus of Napoleon III of France at St. Michael’s Abbey; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of France/French Empire Index
• French Burial Sites – House of Bourbon, House of Bonaparte, House of Orléans

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Louis Philippe I, King of the French – Source – Wikipedia

Louis Philippe I, King of the French, reigned over France from 1830 until he was forced to abdicate in 1848. He was born at the Palais Royal in Paris, France on October 6, 1773, the eldest child of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Louise Marie Adélaïde of Bourbon.

He had four siblings:

• Louis Antoine Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1775 – 1807) – unmarried
• Louise Marie Adélaïde Eugénie d’Orléans (1777 – 1847) – unmarried
• Françoise d’Orléans (1777 – 1781) – died in childhood, twin sister of Louise Marie Adélaïde Eugénie
• Louis Charles d’Orléans, Count of Beaujolais (1779 – 1808) – unmarried

At the onset of the French Revolution, Louis Philippe fled France to avoid likely execution, the fate of his father and other members of the French royal family including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.  He traveled extensively around Europe and spent several years in the United States.

Maria Amalia, with her eldest son, c1818. source: Wikipedia

On November 25, 1809, in Palermo, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy, Louis Philippe married Princess Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily. She was the daughter of King Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. They had ten children:

• Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans (1810 – 1842) – married Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had issue
• Louise Marie d’Orléans (1812 – 1850) – married King Leopold I of the Belgians, had issue
• Marie d’Orléans (1813 – 1839) – married Duke Alexander of Württemberg, had issue
• Louis d’Orléans, Duke of Nemours (1814 – 1896) – married Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, had issue
• Françoise d’Orléans (1816 – 1818) – died in childhood
• Clémentine d’Orléans (1817 – 1907) – married August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, had issue
• François d’Orléans, Prince of Joinville (1818 – 1900) – married Francisca of Brazil, had issue
• Charles d’Orléans (1820 – 1828) – died in childhood
• Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale (1822 – 1897) – married Caroline Auguste of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, had issue
• Antoine d’Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1824- 1890) – married Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain, had issue

In 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French was overthrown, and the Bourbons returned to the French throne. Louis Philippe returned to France and was welcomed into the French court during the reign of his cousin, King Louis XVIII. Louis XVIII died in 1824 and was succeeded by his brother, King Charles X. Louis Philippe had a close relationship with Charles but his liberal views were quite in contrast to the staunchly conservative Charles, and he was often viewed as a threat to the stability of the King’s reign.

King Louis Philippe, photographed c1842. source: Wikipedia

In August 1830, King Charles X abdicated, naming his grandson Henri, Duke of Bordeaux his successor. King Charles X also made Louis Philippe the Lieutenant General of the Realm and charged him with announcing the King’s successor to the Chamber of Deputies and to serve as regent for the young Henri. However, Louis Philippe did not make any such announcement, and within days, the Chamber of Deputies instead proclaimed Louis Philippe as the new monarch of France. He took the throne on August 9, 1830, taking the title King of the French, attributing his role as King of the people instead of a territorial area. It was also an attempt to cut off any attempts of the descendants of King Charles to lay claim to the throne.

Outwardly, Louis Philippe avoided much of the pomp and ceremony – and spending – which had dominated the reigns of his predecessors. Initially much loved by the French people, he soon became unpopular when it was clear that his government became increasingly conservative and many felt that it no longer truly represented the average citizen of France. Working conditions worsened, and the divide between the rich and the poor continued to widen. This, combined with the economic crisis of 1847, led to the French Revolution of 1848 and, once again, the end of the French monarchy.

On February 24, 1848, Louis Philippe abdicated in favor of his grandson Philippe, Count of Paris. Afraid that he may be imprisoned and executed, he quickly left Paris, and using a disguise, made his way to England. Two days later, the Second Republic was declared, once again ending the monarchy in France.

Claremont, c1860. source: Wikipedia

In England, Louis Philippe and his wife took up residence at Claremont, a country house in Surrey, England. Claremont had a significant royal history. It had originally been purchased as a home for Princess Charlotte of Wales and her husband, Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (later King Leopold I of the Belgians). After Charlotte’s death, Leopold retained ownership of the house until he died in 1865. However, after becoming King of the Belgians in 1831, he gave use of the estate to his niece Queen Victoria. Victoria, in turn, loaned the house to Louis Philippe and Marie-Amelie, who were the parents-in-law of King Leopold I from his second marriage to their daughter Louise Marie. It would later become the home of Queen Victoria’s son, Leopold, Duke of Albany, following his marriage in 1882.

King Louis Philippe died at Claremont on August 26, 1850. He was buried at St. Charles Borromeo Chapel in Weybridge, England. In 1876, ten years after his wife’s death, both of their remains were reinterred at the Chapelle royale de Dreux in France.

Memorial to Louis Philippe and Maria Amalia at the Royal Chapel of Dreux; Credit – By Real politik – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6656193

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of France/French Empire Index
• French Burial Sites – House of Bourbon, House of Bonaparte, House of Orléans

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Charles X of France – source: Wikipedia

King Charles X was the last King of France from the House of Bourbon. He was born at the Palace of Versailles in France on October 9, 1757. His grandfather King Louis XV of France created him Count of Artois at birth.  Charles was the sixth child and third son of Louis, Dauphin of France, and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. He had seven siblings:

• Marie Zéphyrine (1750 – 1755), died in childhood
• Louis Joseph, Duke of Burgundy (1751 – 1761), died in childhood from tuberculosis
• Xavier of France, Duke of Aquitaine (1753 – 1754), died in infancy
• Louis XVI, King of France (1754 – 1793), married Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria and had four children, executed during the French Revolution
• Louis XVIII, King of France (1755 – 1824), married Marie Joséphine of Savoy, no children
• Marie Clotilde (1759 – 1802), married Carlo Emanuele IV, King of Sardinia, no children
• Élisabeth (1764 – 1794), unmarried, executed during the French Revolution

He was given the names Charles Philippe at his christening in the Chapel Royal at the Palace of Versailles. His godparents were King Carlos III of Spain and his aunt Sophie-Philippine of France.

Engraving of the marriage of Charles and Maria Teresa of Savoy, 1773. source: Wikipedia

On November 16, 1773, at the age of 16, Charles married Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy at the Chapel Royal at the Palace of Versailles. She was the daughter of King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia of Spain. Maria Teresa’s elder sister was the wife of Charles’ elder brother Louis Stanislas (later King Louis XVIII). The couple had four children:

• Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême (1775 – 1834) – married Marie Thérèse of France, daughter of King Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette, no issue
• Sophie (1776 – 1783) – died in childhood
• Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry (1778) – married Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, had issue
• Marie Thérèse (born and died 1783) – died in infancy

Following the Storming of the Bastille in 1789, Charles and his family took refuge in Savoy and then traveled through Europe. After the French monarchy was abolished in September 1792, Charles’s brother King Louis XVI and his family were imprisoned and executed the following year. Charles escaped to the United Kingdom, where he was warmly welcomed by King George III who gave him a large allowance and provided him with apartments at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland. Charles also had a residence in Mayfair, London, where he spent much of his time with his longtime mistress, Louise d’Esparbès de Lussan. His elder brother, now the titular King Louis XVIII, eventually came to the United Kingdom in 1807.

Charles, Comte d’Artois, c1798, painted by Henri-Pierre Danloux. source: Wikipedia

When Napoleon was overthrown in 1814 and Louis XVIII formally made King of France, Charles served as Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom until the new King could return to France. While supporting his brother, Charles was also very vocal in his disagreement with many of the King’s liberal policies. On September 16, 1824, King Louis XVIII died, and Charles succeeded to the French throne as King Charles X. He would be very unpopular with the French people, and would not remain on the throne for long. While his brother had been much more liberal, and accepting of the changes needed to retain the monarchy in an evolving France, Charles longed for a return to absolute rule. He often instructed his prime minister to change or remove laws that he felt were too liberal.

King Charles X’s actions led to the July Revolution of 1830 and his abdication. After ordering General Elections to be held, Charles was not happy with the results, and on July 6, 1830, he suspended the constitution. Several weeks later, he issued four ordinances, censoring the press, dissolving the newly elected chamber, changing the electoral system, and calling for new elections in September. When these ordinances were published, there were quick calls for revolution. When rioting began, a team of ministers pleaded with the King to revoke the mandates but the King refused any compromise. By the end of the night, the members of the Chamber of Deputies had decided that the King must go and that they should pass the throne to the Duke of Orléans who would become Louis-Philippe, King of the French.

On July 31, 1830, King Charles X left the Château de Saint-Cloud, intending to take refuge at Versailles. However, he was met by revolutionary troops and instead went to the Grand Trianon and the Château de Rambouillet the following day. Louis-Philippe, the Duke of Orléans declared himself Lieutenant-General.

On August 2, 1830, King Charles X abdicated the French throne, skipping over his son and naming his grandson Henri, Duke of Bordeaux as his successor. Louis-Philippe refused to accept the terms of the abdication and instead had himself proclaimed King of the French. With an approaching mob, Charles and his family left Rambouillet and sailed to the United Kingdom. They lived briefly at Lulworth Castle in Dorset before returning to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. In the winter of 1832, the family moved to Prague at the invitation of Emperor Franz I of Austria, taking up residence at the Prague Castle. They remained there until the Emperor’s death in 1835 when they purchased Kirchberg Castle.

In the fall of 1835, Charles traveled to Austria’s Mediterranean coast to enjoy the warmer weather. While in Görz, Austria (now Gorizia, Italy), he contracted cholera. The former King Charles X of France died at the Strassoldo Palace in Görz on November 6, 1836. He was buried in the crypt of the Kostanjevica Monastery in what is now Pristava, Slovenia

Tombs of Charles X and his son Louis at the Kostanjevica Monastery; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of France/French Empire Index
• French Burial Sites – House of Bourbon, House of Bonaparte, House of Orléans

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Louis XVIII of France; Credit – Wikipedia

King Louis XVIII of France was born at the Palace of Versailles in France on November 17, 1755, during the reign of his grandfather King Louis XV. He was the fifth of eight children of Louis, Dauphin of France and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. At the time of his birth, he was fourth in line to the French throne, following his father and two living elder brothers. At his christening, he was given the names Louis Stanislas Xavier and was styled Count of Provence from birth.

He had seven siblings:

• Marie Zéphyrine (1750 – 1755), died in childhood
• Louis Joseph, Duke of Burgundy (1751 – 1761), died in childhood from tuberculosis
• Xavier of France, Duke of Aquitaine (1753 – 1754), died in infancy
• Louis XVI, King of France (1754 – 1793), married Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria and had four children, executed during the French Revolution
• Charles X, King of France (1757 – 1836), married Marie Thérèse of Savoy, had four children
• Marie Clotilde (1759 – 1802), married Carlo Emanuele IV, King of Sardinia, no children
• Élisabeth (1764 – 1794), unmarried, executed during the French Revolution

Following the death of his eldest brother in 1761, Louis Stanislas and his brother Louis Auguste were educated by a series of tutors. Following his father’s death in 1765, he became second in line for the French throne. In 1771, his formal education came to an end, and he was granted his own household. He was also created Duke of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Perche, and Count of Senoches, but remained styled as Count of Provence.

Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence, source: Wikipedia

On May 14, 1771, at the Palace of Versailles, Louis married Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, the daughter of the future King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. From all accounts, the marriage was far from loving, with Louis finding his bride ugly and repulsive of character. Other than several miscarriages, the couple had no children.

King Louis XV died in April 1774 and was succeeded by Louis Stanislas’s elder brother Louis Auguste, who became King Louis XVI. Louis Stanislas was the heir-presumptive to the French throne until the birth of King Louis XVI’s son in 1781. During his brother’s reign, Louis Auguste lived a relatively private and quiet life. He installed his mistress in a small pavilion at Versailles and spent much of his time there, developing his massive collection of books.

Louis Stanislas, Count of Provence; Credit – Wikipedia

Following the Storming of the Bastille, on July 14, 1789, Louis chose to remain at Versailles, while his younger brother, the future King Charles X, left the country and settled in Sardinia. For some time, they lived normal lives at Versailles, but in October of that year, the entire French royal family was forced to return to Paris. Louis Stanislas and his wife took up residence at the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. Finally, in June 1791, Louis Stanislas and Marie Joséphine fled to the Austrian Netherlands.

The monarchy was formally abolished in September 1792, and King Louis XVI was executed the following January. After the king’s son died in 1795, Louis Stanislas became the titular King of France. In 1798, he was given the use of Jelgava Palace in Courland (now Latvia) by Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, in addition to a large pension. At Jelgava, Louis Stanislas attempted to recreate the court of Versailles and all the pomp and ceremony that entailed. He arranged for the marriage of his niece and daughter of King Louis XVI Marie-Thérèse and his nephew Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême at Jelgava in 1799, and soon made efforts to begin a correspondence with Napoleon Bonaparte, in hopes of restoring the Bourbons to the French throne.

After being forced to leave Jelgava in 1801, Louis Stanislas took up residence in Warsaw (then part of southern Prussia). Two years later, Napoleon tried to force Louis to give up his rights to the French throne, which he refused. After Napoleon declared himself Emperor of the French in 1804, the Prussian King forced Louis to leave Prussian territory, and he returned to Jelgava Palace in Courland, at the invitation of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. However, by 1807, the Russian Emperor could no longer guarantee his safety. After briefly traveling to Sweden, Louis Stanislas moved to England where he leased Gosfield Hall in Essex. In 1808, he brought his wife to England, and the couple moved to Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire. With their rent paid by the King, the couple also enjoyed a close relationship with the Prince Regent (the future King George IV) who provided them with a very generous allowance and granted them permanent asylum in Great Britain.

In April 1814, following Napoleon’s overthrow, the French Senate restored the Bourbons to the French throne. Louis Stanislas officially became King Louis XVIII. In ill health, Louis XVIII sent his younger brother Charles to serve as Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom until he could arrive. King Louis XVIII arrived in Paris at the beginning of May and immediately took up residence at the Tuileries Palace. The monarchy was much different than it had been before the Revolution. Soon after assuming the throne, and under pressure to establish a new constitution, King Louis issued the Charter of 1814, establishing a bicameral legislature and maintaining the King as Head of State. He also signed the Treaty of Paris on May 30, 1814.

King Louis XVIII, c1815. source: Wikipedia

In February 1815, Napoleon escaped from his imprisonment in Elba and returned to France. Louis XVIII assumed that he would easily overcome any attempts by the former Emperor to regain the throne. However, he did not anticipate the large number of troops who would side with Napoleon. When Paris fell, Louis XVIII fled the city, taking up residence in the Netherlands. His exile would be short-lived. Napoleon was once again defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, and King Louis XVIII was restored to the throne.

Following his restoration, King Louis XVIII voluntarily relinquished much of his political role, leaving many of his responsibilities to his ministers. Having been in ill health for much of his adult life, Louis XVIII again fell ill in early 1824, suffering from gout, gangrene, and extreme obesity. He died at the Louvre Palace in Paris, France on September 16, 1824, and is buried in the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris.

Grave of Louis XVIII at the Basilica of Saint-Denis; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of France/French Empire Index
• French Burial Sites – House of Bourbon, House of Bonaparte, House of Orléans

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of the French; Credit – Wikipedia

Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. She was born Marie-Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (known as Rose), on June 23, 1763, in Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique, the eldest daughter of Joseph-Gaspard Tascher, Seigneur de la Pagerie, and Rose Claire des Vergers de Sannois.

Joséphine had two younger sisters:

• Catherine-Désirée Tascher de La Pagerie (1764 – 1777)
• Marie-Françoise Tascher de La Pagerie (1766 – 1791)

Joséphine’s childhood was spent on the Caribbean island of Martinique, a French possession, where her father owned a large plantation. However, after their home was destroyed by a hurricane in 1766, and combined with her father’s mismanagement of the land, the family lost much of their fortune. Young Rose did not attend school until she was ten years-old, when she was finally sent to a religious boarding school in the nearby town of Fort Royal, now Fort-de-France.

Joséphine’s aunt was the mistress of François V de Beauharnais, Viscount de Beauharnais, and had arranged a marriage between the Viscount’s son, Alexandre and Rose’s younger sister Catherine-Désirée in 1777. However, after Catherine-Désirée died in 1777, it was decided that Rose would become his bride. On December 13, 1779, she married Alexandre de Beauharnais in Noisy-le-Grand, France. Rose and Alexandre’s descendants sit on the thrones of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Rose and Alexandre’s children:

• Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg  (1781 – 1824), married Princess Augusta of Bavaria, had seven children including Joséphine of Leuchtenberg who married King Oscar I of Sweden, Auguste, Duke of Leuchtenberg who married Queen Maria II of Portugal, and Amélie of Leuchtenberg who married Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil
• Hortense de Beauharnais (1783 – 1837), married Louis Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, had three sons including Napoleon III, Emperor of the French

The marriage was unhappy, and Alexandre wasted most of his fortune. In December 1785, the couple separated. Rose and her children took up residence at the Pentemont Abbey in Paris. In March 1794, her estranged husband was arrested during the Reign of Terror. Despite their separation, Rose was also arrested in April 1794 and held in the Carmes prison. Alexandre was sentenced to death and executed by guillotine on July 23, 1794. Rose was released five days later, and the following year was able to reclaim her late husband’s possessions.

“The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries” painted by Jacques-Louis David, 1812. source: Wikipedia

Through those years of separation, Rose had several affairs and had become prominent in Parisian society. In 1795, she met her future husband Napoleon Bonaparte, and quickly became his mistress. They became engaged in January 1796 and married on March 9, 1796 in Paris. It was Napoleon who began calling her Joséphine, the name with which history has remembered her. Two days after the wedding, Napoleon left to fight in Italy, leaving his new wife alone. She soon began an affair with Hippolyte Charles, a lieutenant in the French forces. The affair lasted for several years until Napoleon threatened to divorce her, and she ended her relationship with Charles.

In April 1799, while her husband was away, fighting in the Egyptian Campaign, Joséphine purchased the Château de Malmaison, a few miles outside Paris. A large manor house set on nearly 150 acres, Malmaison was run down and needed significant restoration. Joséphine spent large amounts of money to create a home fit for an Emperor and Empress and devoted much of her time to developing the gardens and grounds. She had an orangery built to grow pineapple plants and a greenhouse where she grew several hundred plants that had not been grown in France before. She also developed a magnificent rose garden with over 250 different varieties of roses from around the world. In addition, she gathered a menagerie of animals that roamed in the gardens, many brought from Australia after the Baudin expedition of 1800-1803.

Crowning of Empress Joséphine, from “The Consecration of Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of  Empress Joséphine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804” painted by Jacques-Louis David. source: Wikipedia

In November 1799, Napoleon was named First Consul of the French Republic, and the couple took up residence at the Tuileries Palace. Five years later, on May 18, 1804, Joséphine became Empress of the French when her husband was elected Emperor. They were crowned in a lavish coronation ceremony held at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, on December 2, 1804.

While Joséphine was able to provide a lovely home for her husband, the one thing she was unable to give him was an heir. Without a son, Napoleon had named Joséphine’s grandson (and his nephew), Napoleon Charles Bonaparte, as his heir. After the young Napoleon died in 1807, the Emperor considered finding another wife who could provide him with a son. In November 1809, he told Joséphine that he planned to divorce her and find a new wife.

Joséphine, painting by Andrea Appiani. c1808. source: Wikipedia

Joséphine agreed to a divorce, and an elaborate divorce ceremony was held on January 10, 1810. Joséphine retained her title as Empress and her rank at court and received an annual pension of 5 million francs. She received several residences, including the Château de Navarre in Normandy and the Élysée Palace in Paris. Napoleon would later ask her to return the  Élysée Palace for his use and offered her the Château de Laeken in present-day Belgium instead. Napoleon had created Joséphine Duchess of Navarre at the time of their divorce. After living at the Château de Navarre for two years, Joséphine returned to the Château de Malmaison, where would live for the rest of her life.

On May 29, 1814, Joséphine died at the age of 50 from pneumonia. She was buried in the nearby church of Saint-Pierre-Saint Paul in Rueil-Malmaison, France, in a temporary vault. In 1825, Joséphine’s remains were transferred to the tomb ordered by her two children Eugene and Hortense. Napoleon’s true love had been his first wife and his last words were, “France, army, head of the army, Joséphine.”

Tomb of Empress Joséphine at Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul Church; Credit – Wikipedia

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France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of France/French Empire Index
• French Burial Sites – House of Bourbon, House of Bonaparte, House of Orléans