What was the name of Napoleon’s first wife?

Napoleon’s first wife was Joséphine de Beauharnais. They married in Paris on 9 March 1796, before Napoleon became emperor.

Born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie in Martinique in 1763, Joséphine had previously been married to Alexandre de Beauharnais. Their two children, Eugène and Hortense, later became important members of Napoleon’s extended family. Napoleon popularized the name Joséphine, which she adopted.

Joséphine became Empress of the French when Napoleon established the First French Empire, and she was crowned alongside him at Notre-Dame Cathedral on 2 December 1804. She was also briefly Queen of Italy through Napoleon’s Italian title.

Their marriage was annulled in 1810 because they had no biological child together and Napoleon wanted a direct heir. Napoleon then married Marie Louise of Austria, who gave birth to Napoleon II in 1811. Joséphine therefore was Napoleon’s first wife, while Marie Louise was his second—not the other way around.