Napoleon Bonaparte's two wives and divorces.

     Napoleon Bonaparte's romantic entanglement with Joséphine de Beauharnais was a whirlwind affair that had significant historical and political implications. The two met in the mid-1790s when Napoleon was a young and ambitious officer. Joséphine, six years older than him, was a widow at the time, having been previously married to Alexandre de Beauharnais. She had experienced the tumultuous events of the French Revolution, including her husband's execution during the Reign of Terror.

    When Napoleon and Joséphine met, they quickly fell in love and married in a civil ceremony on March 9, 1796, tow days before he left for a campaign in Italy. However, Joséphine's previous marriage and the circumstances surrounding it caused some complications. She had been married to Alexandre de Beauharnais, who was executed during the "Reign of Terror" which followed the French revolution. This made their union somewhat controversial. Napoleon's own family was not happy with this choice as she was older than him and had two children. (Her daughter, Hortense, later married Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte). Despite this, their relationship endured, and they were devoted to each other.

    Fast forward to Napoleon's ascension to power, he was crowned Emperor of the French in 1804. The coronation was a grand event, and the Pope's presence was requested to legitimise Napoleon's authority. During the ceremony, the Pope, Pius VII, insisted on a church wedding between Napoleon and Joséphine to symbolise the sanctity of their union. Napoleon agreed to this but was evidently irritated by the delay and perhaps by the Pope demonstrating his authority. Hence during the coronation, he allegedly took the crown from the Pope's hands and crowned himself, symbolising his authority over the Church. Some historians debate that the whole exercise would have been carefully planned and discussed and the myth of snatching the crown from Pope Pius VII was a later addition. The famous painting by Jacques-Louis David depicting Napoleon crowning himself during his coronation "The Coronation of Napoleon", an iconic representation of that historical moment, is often cited as proof as the Pope is said to be sulking in the painting. The painting itself can not be presented as a proof because, for instance, Maria Letizia Ramolino, mother of Napoleon is shown in the stands and occupies a place more important than the Pope whereas she never attended the coronation to protest the friction between Napoleon and his brothers Lucien and Joseph. The coronation and the painting are well covered by wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coronation_of_Napoleon

    Returning back to our topic, their marriage was not without challenges, and one of the most significant issues was their lack of an heir. Joséphine failed to conceive a child with Napoleon, and given his desire for a legitimate heir to secure his dynasty, this became a growing concern. Despite their deep affection for each other, the absence of an heir prompted Napoleon to seek a divorce. In 1809, Napoleon divorced Joséphine, citing the need for an heir to the throne. Despite the separation, their fondness for each other remained evident, and they maintained a close relationship. After their divorce, Joséphine lived quietly and did not remarry. She passed away in 1814.

    Napoleon's second wife, Marie Louise of Austria, married him in 1810. Their marriage was politically motivated, aiming to secure an alliance between France and Austria. They had a son together, Napoleon Francis Joseph Charles, who became the heir to the throne, known as the King of Rome.

    However, as Napoleon's fortunes declined, he was eventually exiled, and his marriage with Marie Louise faced challenges. After his final defeat and exile to Elba, Marie Louise was coerced into renouncing Napoleon and their son in favour of her father and Austria. She later married again, this time to Count Adam Albert von Neipperg, with whom she had two children.

    These marriages, marked by their complexities and ultimately their downfalls, are a testament to the intricate interplay between personal lives and political compulsions which was prevalent among the royalty of the time.

Aparjeet Nakai