How Napoleon and Joséphine Woke Up Their Servants with Sighs
The raunchy widow and the greatest general in history had an explosive romance
He was stocky and sloppy. She was popular but seen as an “easy woman” and a gold digger. Together they became one of the most influential couples in France — Napoleon and Joséphine.
Nothing in their relationship was ordinary — even the first time they met. Influential politician Paul Barras introduced them to each other at a party in 1795. At the time Barras was Joséphine’s lover but he wanted to get rid of her because she spent like crazy. Also, he was convinced an experienced widow would be ideal for young Bonaparte, so why not his girlfriend?
Six years her junior, the unsightly Napoleon was slowly climbing up the army ladder. Joséphine was already 32, with two kids. She was looking for a rich lover to finance her extravagant way of life: She needed a dress covered in rose petals and the one with toucan feathers. You gotta be en vogue.
Napoleon was looking for a more experienced aristocrat he could marry and thus enter high society. They were made for each other.
Marriage of convenience
Napoleon fell in love with Joséphine at first sight. She flirtatiously raised both…
