Emrpess Josephine

[amabel]

Is anyone intersted in her?  She is one of my favourite royals, esp since she was not born to the job.... charming, extravagant, sometimes silly but always very kind hearted....

[amabel]

Im bumping this one up again in hopes soemone might wnat to discuss

[cinrit]

Im bumping this one up again in hopes soemone might wnat to discuss

I don't know much about her Amabel.  Can you tell something about her?  Was she Napoleon's second wife?  And didn't he eventually divorce her because they were childless, and marry a much younger woman?

Cindy

[amabel]

I'm bumping this one up again in hopes someone might want to discuss

I don't know much about her Amabel.  Can you tell something about her?  Was she Napoleon's second wife?  And didn't he eventually divorce her because they were childless, and marry a much younger woman?

Cindy

ah well!  I didn't have much hopes! but thanks for replying.  She was Napoleons first wife, and he divorced her to father a son....She was phenomenally extravagant

[cinrit]

I'm bumping this one up again in hopes someone might want to discuss

I don't know much about her Amabel.  Can you tell something about her?  Was she Napoleon's second wife?  And didn't he eventually divorce her because they were childless, and marry a much younger woman?

Cindy

ah well!  I didn't have much hopes! but thanks for replying.  She was Napoleons first wife, and he divorced her to father a son....She was phenomenally extravagant

I suppose she's one of the ones who isn't all that well known.  One of my oldest friends was fascinated with her, and I read (or maybe saw a movie, which we can assume was probably not very accurate) something about her.  But it was so long ago, I don't remember very much.  For some reason, I thought he'd known her ... or met her once ... before he became who is he famous for being.

Cindy

[The Chocolate Princess]

Didn't Napoleon write her a letter from the front lines of a warzone, telling her she shouldn't wash until he will return back home the next 1-2 weeks?  :coy:   :D

I heard she had affaires with other men during their marriage and more negative stuff :cry:

[Ladybee]

Josephine had quite an intersting life!
She was born in Martinique, married at 16 first Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais  and had 2 children with him , Eugène and Hortense. In 1794, during the Reign of Terror, they were all imprisoned as aristocrats and Alexandre was guillotined. Fortunately for Josephine, she was freed 5 days later.

She met Napoléon the following year, soon they became lovers, and married in 1796. She had some affairs with other men while Napoléon was away, but they would always reconcile in bed  :P

She was crowned Empress along with him :just look at the magnifiscent painting by David! But from then, everything went downhill. The Empire needed an heir, and Josephine could not conceive children anymore. She tried to make her grandson (the son her daughter Hortense had with one of Napoléon's brothers) the heir, but the little boy died in infancy.

So the divorce finally happened in 1810, after an argument with Napoléon during which she fainted. He offered her the castle of La Malmaison, and a life rent. She also kept her Empress title. Both stayed in good terms, even with the arrival of Archduchess Marie-Louise as the new imperial wife.

Josephine died of pneumonia in 1814. She had caught a cold by letting her shoulders uncovered ( because she found it fashionable) during a walk with Czar Alexander of Russia in La Malmaison's garden !

[amabel]

She met Napoleon the following year, soon they became lovers, and married in 1796. She had some affairs with other men while Napoleon was away, but they would always reconcile in bed  :P

not quite the case.  She married Napoleon for security, she wast' in love with him at the time.  she then started another affair with a man called Hyppollite Charles and Napoleon when he found out about it was furious and wanted a divorce.  Josephine persuaded him to take her back and their marriage was if not perfect reasonably happy... but N's ardent love for her Had cooled and he was frequently unfaithful.  As Empress Josephine was extremely extravagant but very popular and charming.
However she was older than N and they had no children and N wanted a male heir.  eventually N insisted on divorce and she and he split up but she retained his friendship and the title of Empress and enough money to try and keep her out of debt.  N married Marie Louise of Austria and had a son.. but his empire was beginning to crumble particularly after his defeat in Russia.  after his exile to Elba Josephine who still retained her affection for him, entertained Tsar Alexander and other leaders at Malmaison.  she was still very popular and wasn't so much associated with the downfall of the Bonaparties.  she caught a cold and died within a few days of a  putrid sore throat....

[cinrit]

Whew ... she had quite an, er, interesting life.  I had it in my head, for some reason, that Napoleon loved her until the day he died.  I quite possibly got that notion from a movie, and we know how that goes ... 

Cindy

[amabel]

Whew ... she had quite an, er, interesting life.  I had it in my head, for some reason, that Napoleon loved her until the day he died.  I quite possibly got that notion from a movie, and we know how that goes ... 

Cindy

I think he did care for her, but he was not "madly in love".  certainly she was more loyal to him than M Louise was, and when she died, and N came back to France. he's said to have gone aroudn Malmaison on his own for hours and come otu iwht tears in his eyes

[LouisFerdinand]

In her post-divorce allowance, all of Empress Josephine's debts would be settled. She would receive an allowance of three million francs a year.