Josephine de Beauharnais: Marie-Josephe-Rose Tascher de la Pagerie
Napoleon Bonaparte's first wife and the only woman that he claimed to love was Joséphine de Beauharnais. Her real name was Marie-Josèphe-Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, and she was called Rose by her family. Joséphine was Napoleon's name for her, and she adopted it as he reached the zenith of his power.
Rose was born on 23rd June 1763, on the French island of Martinique in the West Indies to plantation owner Joseph-Gaspard Tascher, Seigneur de la Pagerie and his wife Rose-Claire, née des Vergers de Sannois.
Her younger siblings, Catherine-Désirée and Marie-Françoise, were born in 1764 and 1766.
Rose's aunt Marie-Euphémie, Madame Renaudin was the mistress of François V de Beauharnais, Vicomte de Beauharnais, the governor of Martinique. It was at her instigation that a marriage was arranged between the vicomte's son Alexandre and her niece Catherine-Désirée.
Alexandre de Beauharnais and the French Revolution
Tragically, Catherine-Désirée died in 1777, so Joseph-Gaspard suggested 16-year-old Rose as a replacement bride.
Alexandre de Beauharnais's military career was based in France, so Rose travelled thousands of miles to be with him. They married on 13th December 1779, and although they had two children, Eugène and Hortense, the marriage was not a success. Alexandre was extravagant and a pleasure-seeker. A serial adulterer, he left his family and moved in with one of his mistresses for a time.
Alexandre and Rose legally separated in late 1785; Rose and Hortense travelled to Martinique, but in 1790, they returned to Alexandre and Eugène in France. Alexandre's importance increased in Paris. He was appointed the President of the Constituent National Assembly in summer 1791 as France moved towards its infamous revolution.
Despite Alexandre's support for the French Revolution, he was executed in July 1794. Rose was imprisoned, and she feared execution. She was stunned when she was released a few days after Alexandre's death, as Robespierre's regime fell.
"I awake full of you. Your image and the memory of last night's intoxicating pleasures has left no rest to my senses." — Napoleon Bonaparte in a letter to Josephine de Beauharnais, 1795.
Napoleon and Josephine Meet in 1795
Rose was able to reclaim some of Alexandre's possessions but she struggled financially. A series of lovers and her increasing prominence in Paris's social circles led to an introduction to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1795.
She became his mistress, and he always called her Joséphine. His passionate letters to her, and his own admission that she was the only woman that he loved, are proof that he was intensely captivated. Whether she loved him is debatable; she enjoyed his ascent to power and security for herself and her children.
Napoleon and Joséphine married in a civil ceremony in Paris on 9th March 1796. Two days later, Napoleon left her to lead his army into Italy. She started an affair with Lt. Hippolyte Charles that lasted for years, until Napoleon threatened her with divorce.
While away on his Egyptian campaign, Napoleon took a mistress, Pauline Foures, "Napoleon's Cleopatra". The Bonaparte's marriage was weakened by the infidelities.
Tempestuous Emperor Napoleon and Empress Josephine
In 1799 Rose/Joséphine purchased and renovated the Château de Malmaison on the outskirts of Paris. Her home reflected her patronage of the arts and her grounds featured an expansive rose garden and plant species that were new to France. An assortment of animals roamed freely.
Napoleon Bonaparte was named First Consul of France in 1799, and he and Joséphine survived an assassination attempt in 1800. In 1804, they became the Emperor and Empress of the French. An opulent coronation was held at Notre Dame Cathedral on 2nd December 1804. Pope Pius VII officiated.
Just days before the coronation, Joséphine found her husband in the bedroom of one of her ladies-in-waiting Elizabeth de Vaudey and infuriated at being caught cheating, he threatened to divorce her (again).
Hortense de Beauharnais played the unenviable role of peacemaker and the marriage survived. Joséphine persuaded a reluctant Napoleon to marry her again, this time in a religious ceremony. She claimed that the civil ceremony wasn't enough and she questioned the Pope about the marriage's validity in God's eyes.
Napoleon Tells Josephine It's Divorce
In January 1802, Hortense de Beauharnais married Napoleon's brother Louis. They were made King and Queen of Holland in 1806. Their marriage produced three sons, including the future Napoleon III, but it was not a happy union.
Eugène de Beauharnais married Princess Augusta of Bavaria in January 1807. The couple had seven children, and six of them made advantageous marriages in Europe's ruling houses. (One daughter, Catherine, died in 1816).
In December 1806, Napoleon's mistress (Louise Catherine) Eléonore Denuelle de la Plaigne gave birth to a son they named Charles, Comte Léon. He was impatient for a legitimate heir, and he mulled over whether he could divorce Josephine, marry again and have an heir.
On 3rd July 1807, Josephine's mother passed away in Martinique. She was now the only survivor from their family of five.
Perhaps the death delayed Napoleon's plans. It was not until November 1809 that he told Josephine that their marriage was over. She accepted his decision, and a grandiose divorce ceremony was conducted on 10th January 1810. Bizarrely, he professed his devotion to her at the event.
Far from ever finding cause for complaint, I can to the contrary only congratulate myself on the devotion and tenderness of my beloved wife.
— Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine at their divorce ceremony.
Death at the Chateau de Malmaison
Her divorce settlement was generous. She was still an empress and enjoyed all the dignities of an empress when she attended court. She received an annuity of 5 million francs, and Napoleon gave her several properties, including the Elysee Palace in the capital. (He later took the Elysee back for his own use).
She retired to one of the other properties that she received from Napoleon, the Château de Navarre in Normandy. Napoleon bestowed the title of Duchess of Navarre on her.
After a couple of years, Joséphine returned to Paris and the Château de Malmaison. She died there on 29th May 1814, less than two months after Napoleon's abdication. Her cause of death was noted as pneumonia.
Napoleon married Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria in 1810 and she bore him the long awaited son, Napoleon II (1810-1832). The couple separated in April 1814 when Napoleon fell from power.
Napoleon's last words on 5th May 1821 were reported as "France, army, head of the army. Josephine."
The restored French monarchy created the moniker "Joséphine de Beauharnais" that has travelled down the centuries. Joséphine was a Bonaparte, previously known as Rose de Beauharnais. "Joséphine de Beauharnais" was the royals device to separate her from Napoleon in peoples minds; their plan hasn't worked well.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment.