Napoleon & Joséphine
The burning letters of an emperor
Napoleon's passionate, jealous letters to Joséphine de Beauharnais; he divorced her for lack of an heir, but by tradition her name was on his lips at death.
01Why it matters
It shows that even the most powerful man in Europe surrendered to love — and sacrificed it for power.
02The conflict
The dynastic need for an heir.
03The iconic moment
His letters from the front: "Coming home, don't wash."
04What survived
The Château de Malmaison; their correspondence.
05Where to travel
06Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Napoleon & Joséphine famous?
It shows that even the most powerful man in Europe surrendered to love — and sacrificed it for power.
How does the story of Napoleon & Joséphine end?
His letters from the front: "Coming home, don't wash." The Château de Malmaison; their correspondence.
Where can you visit the story of Napoleon & Joséphine?
You can visit Château de Malmaison, in Rueil-Malmaison. Joséphine's home.
Related loves
Cleopatra & Mark Antony
Love, empire and a double suicide
The queen of Egypt and the Roman general whose romance fused love with imperial politics and ended in a double suicide that sealed the end of an era.
Read the story
Edward VIII & Wallis Simpson
He gave up a throne for love
King Edward VIII signed the abdication on December 10, 1936 to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, declaring he could not reign "without the help and support of the woman I love."
Read the story
Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal
Eternal love carved in marble
The Mughal emperor who, when his favorite wife died bearing their fourteenth child, built the Taj Mahal as her tomb and the grandest declaration of eternal love ever raised.
Read the story