Josephine+de+Beauharnais

Josephine de Beauharnais Class: Aristocracy, eventually Royalty Profession: Empress Country: Originally from **Martinique,** an island in the Caribbean. Moved to France. Date of Birth: June 23, 1763 Overview: Josephine was born to a wealthy Creole family who ran a successful sugar cane plantation in the Carribean. They were quite wealthy. However, when a hurricane destroyed their fields, the family was met with tough economic times and was forced to marry their younger daughter to a French aristocrat. However, Catherine died before the marriage could take place, and so Josephine took her place and married Alexandre de Beauharnais. The marriage was unhappy but resulted in two children, who would later become part of other royal families. Josephine is a direct ancestor of the royal houses of Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden. When the revolution occured, Alexandre and Josephine were both jailed. Alexandre faced and died by guillotine, and Josephine was sentenced the same, however the downfall of Robespierre saved her. Escaping from jail, she met and later married Napoleon de Bonaparte, and became the first empress of France. The two later divorced due to her ever increasing debt and her inability to produce an heir. She lived in a palace near Paris and kept many aristocratic lovers. She also kept in touch with other royal houses and was personal friends with the Czar of Russia. She died of pneumonia May 29th, 1814.

She believed in the power of the monarchy and a supreme ruler. She lived a lavish lifestyle and was used to being waited upon.

Erica Fischer-Colbrie