Josephine de Beauharnais
Josephine de Beauharnais was Napoleon's first wife and Empress of the French, a Creole-born widow who became the most fashionable woman in France. Her Malmaison estate served as a cultural and political salon that shaped Consulate and early Empire society. Napoleon divorced her in 1809 due to her failure to produce an heir, a decision he reportedly regretted; she died at Malmaison in 1814 shortly before his first abdication.
- Lived: 1763 CE – 1814 CE
- Nationality: french
- Roles: empress, consort, socialite
