JOSEPHINE, zhe/zli'ft-n' (Fr. Josephine), MARIE ROSE ( i7“3-1814). Empress of the French and first wife of Napoleon I. She was born June 23. 1763. at Trois Ilets, in the island of Mar tinique, her father, Tascher de la Pagerie, being captain of the port of Saint-Pierre. When about fifteen years of age she went to France, and in fulfillment of an early betrothal she married the Vicomte de Beauharnais, of which marriage were born EugOw, Viceroy of Italy. and Hor tense, Queen of Holland, mother of the Emperor Napoleon III. Josephine's husband was executed during the Reign of Terror iu 1794, and she her self barely escaped a like fate through the efforts of Madame Tallien, after the fall of Robespierre. She was married, March 9, 1796, to Napoleon Bonaparte. and accompanied him during a part of his Italian campaign. Their union was marked by few quarrels, and seemed destined to be a happy one. At Malmaison, and afterwards at the Luxembourg and at the Tuileries, Josephine at tracted round her the most brilliant society of France, and contributed not a little to the in crease of her husband's power. She regarded his
exaltation to the throne, however, with fear, and from the day of her becoming Empress (1804) seemed to dread that ambitious political motives might lead him to seek the dissolution of a marriage which had proved unfruitful. The marriage was in fact finally dissolved December 16, 1809. and in the following year Napoleon married Maria Louisa of Austria. Josephine re tained the title of Empress, corresponded with Bonaparte. and took the keenest interest in his doings. She died at Malmaison before his final defeat, May 29. 1814. Consult: Aubenas, His toire de l'imperatriee Josephine (2 vols., Paris, 1859); 'Madame de Rc'musat, Memoires (2 vols., Paris. 1879-80, and English translation, 1880) ; Welschinger, Le divorce de' Yapoleon I. (Paris, 1889) ; Imbert de Saint Amand, Citizeness Bona parte, the Wife of the First Consul; id.. The Court of the Empress Josephine (Eng. trans., New York. Ober, Josephine, Empress of the French (London, 3901).