16. Napoleon Divorced His Wife Josephine Because She Couldn’t Give Him an Heir
When she met the 26-year-old General Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie-Josephe-Rose de Beauharnais was a widow with two children. The ambitious Napoleon immediately liked her, but she didn’t find him to be that impressive. Marie had the social prestige that he needed for his ambitions. Without any other prospects, Marie married Napoleon in 1796. Within days, the general left on the campaign, leaving his wife – whom he nicknamed “Josephine” – in Paris. In his absence, Josephine had an affair. Although he threatened to divorce her, Napoleon eventually forgave her. During their marriage, Napoleon’s star rose, and he crowned himself Emperor of France in 1804.
Josephine remained devoted to Napoleon, but her inability to conceive concerned him. To produce a legitimate heir, Napoleon divorced Josephine to marry again. In what was probably the most peaceful divorce in history, the couple read each other love letters during the proceedings. Promising each other eternal devotion, the couple never stopped loving each other. After Napoleon’s downfall, Josephine died before she could join him in his exile on the Island of Elba. When he returned to power, the brokenhearted Napoleon visited her grave, picking violets that he would keep with him until his death in 1821.