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French church annuls marriage of Napoleon I and Empress Joséphine

Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.

Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. As Napoleon's consort, she was also Queen of Italy from 26 May 1805 until the 1810 annulment. She is widely known as Joséphine de Beauharnais or Empress Joséphine.

Joséphine's marriage to Napoleon was her second. Her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, was guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and she was imprisoned in the Carmes prison until five days after his execution. Through her children by Beauharnais, she was the grandmother of Emperor Napoleon III of France and Empress Amélie of Brazil.

Historical Significance

Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.

Key People

Napoleon Bonaparte

general and statesman

French general and statesman

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Events Before

  1. Holland Brigade under Brigadier-General David Hendrik Chassé reaches Madrid during the Napoleonic Wars

    Holland Brigade under Brigadier-General David Hendrik Chassé reaches Madrid during the Napoleonic Wars

  2. First run of 2,000 guineas horse race at Newmarket, England

    First run of 2,000 guineas horse race at Newmarket, England

  3. La Paz, Bolivia, declares its independence from the Spanish Crown and forms the Junta Tuitiva led by Pedro Domingo Muril

    La Paz, Bolivia, declares its independence from the Spanish Crown and forms the Junta Tuitiva led by Pedro Domingo Murillo, the first independent government in Spanish America

  4. The Royal Opera House opens in London

    The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site.

  5. Napoleon Bonaparte divorces Empress Joséphine by French Senate

    Napoleon Bonaparte, later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of military campaigns across...

Events After

  1. US Vice President John C. Calhoun (28) weds Floride Bonneau (19)

    US Vice President John C. Calhoun (28) weds Floride Bonneau (19)

  2. First US colonists on the Pacific coast arrive at Cape Disappointment, Washington

    First US colonists on the Pacific coast arrive at Cape Disappointment, Washington

  3. Venezuelan Declaration of Independence: Seven provinces declare independence from Spain

    The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence (Spanish: Acta de la Declaración de Independencia de Venezuela) is a document drafted and adopted by Venezuela on July 5, 1811, through which Venezuelans...

  4. English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (19) elopes to Scotland with 1st wife Harriet Westbrook (16)

    Percy Bysshe Shelley ( BISH; 4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822) was an English writer who is considered one of the major English Romantic poets.

  5. British East India Company force led by Baron Minto conquers Java, then part of the Dutch East Indies. Stamford Raffles

    British East India Company force led by Baron Minto conquers Java, then part of the Dutch East Indies. Stamford Raffles is appointed lieutenant-governor.

More from the 1810s

Leading Romantic poet Lord Byron (27) marries Anne Isabella Milbanke (22) by special licence, at Seaham Hall in County D

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Field Marshal Blücher's troops cross the Rhine at Kaub

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US Vice President John C. Calhoun (28) weds Floride Bonneau (19)

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Argentine General José de San Martín leads a revolutionary army over the Andes to attack Spanish royalists in Chile

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 10, 1810?
Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. As Napoleon's consort, she was also Queen of Italy from 26 May 1805 until the 1810 annulment. She is widely known as Joséphine de Beauharnais or Empress Joséphine.
Why is French church annuls marriage of Napoleon I and Empress Joséphine significant?
Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.
Who was involved in French church annuls marriage of Napoleon I and Empress Joséphine?
Key figures include Napoleon Bonaparte (general and statesman).

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January 10 in HistoryYear 1810