Editing Joséphine de Beauharnais (section)

===Empress of the French===
[[File:Jacques-Louis David - The Coronation of Napoleon (1805-1807).jpg|thumb|''[[The Coronation of Napoleon]]'' by [[Jacques-Louis David]] (1804)]]

Napoleon was [[1804 French constitutional referendum|elected Emperor of the French]] in 1804, making Joséphine empress. The [[Coronation of Napoleon|coronation ceremony]], officiated by [[Pope Pius VII]], took place at [[Notre-Dame de Paris]], on 2 December. Napoleon first crowned himself, then put the crown on Joséphine's head, proclaiming her empress. This showed his rejection of the clergy as the power of Europe.

[[File:Baron François Gérard - Joséphine in coronation costume - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Empress Josephine in coronation costume in 1807–1808 by [[François Gérard]]]]

In her role as empress, Josephine had a court appointed to her and reinstated the offices which composed the household of the queen before the French revolution, with [[Adélaïde de La Rochefoucauld]] as ''[[Première dame d'honneur]]'', [[Émilie de Beauharnais]] as ''[[Dame d'atour]]'', and the wives of his own officials and generals, [[Jeanne Charlotte du Lucay]], [[Madame de Rémusat]], Elisabeth Baude de Talhouët, Lauriston, d'Arberg, Marie Antoinette Duchâtel, Sophie de Segur, Séran, Colbert, Savary and Aglaé Louise Auguié Ney, as ''[[Dame de Palais]]''.<ref name=":1">Stuart, Andrea: ''Josephine: The Rose of Martinique''.</ref>

Shortly before their coronation, there was an incident at the [[Château de Saint-Cloud]] that nearly sundered the marriage between the two. Joséphine caught Napoleon in the bedroom of her lady-in-waiting, [[Élisabeth de Vaudey]], and Napoleon threatened to divorce her as she had not produced an heir since he felt pressured from his family to do so. Eventually, however, through the efforts of her daughter Hortense, the two were reconciled.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tschudi|first=Clara|url=http://archive.org/details/cu31924024327813|title=The great Napoleon's mother|date=1900|publisher=New York, E. P. Dutton|others=Cornell University Library}}</ref>

[[File:Le divorce de l'Impératrice Joséphine 15 décembre 1809 (Henri-Frederic Schopin).jpg|thumb|''[[The Divorce of the Empress Josephine]]'' by [[Henri Frédéric Schopin]], 1846]]

When after a few years it became clear she could not have a child, Napoleon, while still loving Joséphine, began to think about the possibility of an [[annulment]]. The final die was cast when Napoleon's nephew (and Joséphine's grandson) [[Napoléon Charles Bonaparte]], who had been declared his heir, died of [[croup]] in 1807. Once again requested per Napoleon’s family, he began to create lists of eligible princesses. At dinner on 30 November 1809, he let Joséphine know that—in the interest of France—he must find a wife who could produce an heir. He let Joséphine know that this was his family's wish and that he wished it were not so. Joséphine agreed to the divorce so the Emperor could remarry in the hope of having an heir. The divorce ceremony took place on 10 January 1810 and was a grand but solemn social occasion, and each read a statement of devotion to the other.<ref>E. Bruce, ''Napoleon and Josphine'', London : Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1995, pg.445.</ref>

On  11 March, Napoleon married [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Marie-Louise of Austria]] by proxy;<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_josephine/newlife/page_1.html |title=Napoleon: Napoleon and Josephine |website=PBS |access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> the formal ceremony took place at the [[Louvre]] in April.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K0MCQooMH1cC&q=On+March+11%2C+Napoleon+married+Marie-Louise+of+Austria+formal+ceremony+april&pg=PT361 |title=Napoleon's Wars: An International History |last=Esdaile |first=Charles |date=27 October 2009 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=9781101464373 |language=en}}</ref> Napoleon once remarked that despite her quick infatuation with him, "It is a womb that I am marrying".<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=63xTTaYTbrwC&q=Napoleon+Marie-Louise+of+Austria+married+a+womb&pg=PA194 |title=Napoleon Conquers Austria: The 1809 Campaign for Vienna |last=Arnold |first=James R. |date=1995 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=9780275946944 |pages=194 |language=en}}</ref> Even after their separation, Napoleon insisted Joséphine retain the title of empress. "It is my will that she retain the rank and title of empress, and especially that she never doubt my sentiments, and that she ever hold me as her best and dearest friend."{{cn|date=September 2023}}