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The relationship between Josephine de Beauharnais and Napoleon Bonaparte is a very interesting love story that went against the norm of the time. Their relationship began on March 9, 1796, and is one that is remembered throughout history. When the two married, Josephine was 32 years old and six years older than him, which only made their union more interesting.
Josephine was born in 1763 in Martinique to a rich Creole family and led a pretty privileged early life. However, when she met Bonaparte, she was a single mom of two, struggling with money and without any family support. People saw her age and kids as obstacles, but little did they realize that her strong personality would shape the future of a military genius.
The 2023 movie Napoleon tells their epic love story, blending history and the struggles they went through.
What was the age difference between Napoleon and Josephine?
The age difference between Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais was a pretty important factor in their famous love story. When they first met at a ball thrown by his mentor, Paul Barras, in 1795, Napoleon was totally smitten by Josephine's charm. He didn't notice that there was a six-year age difference between them.
Josephine, who was 32 and already had two kids, was also Barras' mistress. Despite all the complications, the French military commander was into her, and they ended up having a steamy affair and getting engaged in January 1796. When they tied the knot in March of that same year, it was a pretty big deal in history.
On their marriage certificate, Josephine took off four years from her age, while Bonaparte threw in an extra 18 months, showing how their power dynamic played out. Their love stood strong through obstacles until Josephine passed away on May 29, 1814, and her husband Napoleon followed on May 5, 1821, when he was 51.
Why did Napoleon marry his wife Josephine?
Napoleon decided to marry Josephine in 1796 because he was genuinely in love with her. They first met at a party in 1795 when Josephine was 32 and he was 26. At that time, Josephine saw him as someone who could potentially support her because he was a Major-General in the French Army.
However, their connection grew into a fiery romance, going against what society expected. Even though Bonaparte's family didn't approve of Josephine because they thought she was too old and bold, their love didn't waver. Bonaparte, head over heels and writing steamy letters from the battlefield, finally convinced Josephine to marry him after he became the commander of the Italian expedition.
Although they were initially in love and passionate about each other, their union eventually encountered difficulties. Josephine's inability to have a child and the strain of constant cheating played a part in ending their marriage for political purposes.
Why couldn't Josephine have children with Napoleon?
The reason behind the couple being unable to have kids is mixed with several issues that made their relationship even more complicated. People think Josephine couldn't have kids because of problems with her tubes, maybe from giving birth or from all the traumatic situations during the French Revolution. It was a big problem that stuck around for them.
Another theory is that maybe Josephine couldn't have children because she got pregnant before marrying General Bonaparte. She was born in Martinique in 1763 and already had two kids before she got together with him. Even though they tried really hard for many years, Josephine was already 47 when they split up in 1810.
She really wanted to give her husband a child, but it never happened and it affected their marriage. The fact that she couldn't have kids seemed to mess up their relationship, and a lot of people think that his parting ways with Josephine had a lot to do with that.
The film Napoleon stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character while Vanessa Kirby plays the role of Josephine. The film was released in theaters on November 22, 2023.
