Beauharnais, Josephine de
1763 - Born on June 23rd in Trois-Îlets, Martinique. The consort of Napoleon Bonaparte and empress of the French.
- Also known as Marie Josephine Rose Tascher de la Pagerie.
1779 - She married a rich young army officer, Alexandre, vicomte de Beauharnais, and moved to Paris.
1785 - Alexandre was ashamed of her provincial manners and lack of sophistication and declined to present her at the court of Marie-Antoinette at Versailles; his indifference grew so great that in March she obtained a separation.
1788 - She remained in Paris three years, learning the ways of the fashionable world, and went back to Martinique.
1794 - On 19th of April the Committee ordered Joséphine to arrest.
- Her husband, accused of having poorly defended Mainz, and considered an aristocratic "suspect", was sentenced to death. He was guillotined on 23rd of July.
1796 - Married in a civil ceremony on March 9th to Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Joséphine was an indifferent wife, declining to answer the future emperor's passionate love letters and, while he was campaigning in Egypt, flirting with another army officer in a most compromising manner.
1804 - Napoleon became emperor of the French in May, she persuaded him to marry her anew with religious rites; the ceremony, which the Emperor arranged most reluctantly, took place on December 1st.
1810 - Napoleon in January arranged for the nullification of his marriage on the grounds that a parish priest had not been present at the ceremony.
1814 - Died on May 29th in Malmaison, France.
- Also known as Marie Josephine Rose Tascher de la Pagerie.
1779 - She married a rich young army officer, Alexandre, vicomte de Beauharnais, and moved to Paris.
1785 - Alexandre was ashamed of her provincial manners and lack of sophistication and declined to present her at the court of Marie-Antoinette at Versailles; his indifference grew so great that in March she obtained a separation.
1788 - She remained in Paris three years, learning the ways of the fashionable world, and went back to Martinique.
1794 - On 19th of April the Committee ordered Joséphine to arrest.
- Her husband, accused of having poorly defended Mainz, and considered an aristocratic "suspect", was sentenced to death. He was guillotined on 23rd of July.
1796 - Married in a civil ceremony on March 9th to Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Joséphine was an indifferent wife, declining to answer the future emperor's passionate love letters and, while he was campaigning in Egypt, flirting with another army officer in a most compromising manner.
1804 - Napoleon became emperor of the French in May, she persuaded him to marry her anew with religious rites; the ceremony, which the Emperor arranged most reluctantly, took place on December 1st.
1810 - Napoleon in January arranged for the nullification of his marriage on the grounds that a parish priest had not been present at the ceremony.
1814 - Died on May 29th in Malmaison, France.
Page last updated: 2:27am, 31st Jul '07
