Tumgik
#rose de beauharnais
napoleondidthat · 4 months
Text
Film stills, Napoleon 2023
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
104 notes · View notes
josefavomjaaga · 4 months
Note
Hii, I have heard Eugene initially disliked his stepfather. It sounds interesting since I love the beautiful father-son bond of napoleon and his stepson. Is it true that Eugene initially didn't like his stepfather? Was it just a part of grieving for his own father, Alexander, or was it because Napoleon initially acted a certain way that hurt Eugene.
Hi and thank you for the Ask! As I’m feeling particularly lazy today, I thought it would be easiest to let Eugène answer himself. This is translated from his memoirs:
I must say that, a few months later, we realised that General Bonaparte might want to unite his destiny with that of our mother, and all the splendour that has since surrounded Napoleon, then General Bonaparte, has not made me forget the pain I felt when I saw my mother resolved to form new ties. It seemed to me that a second marriage, whatever it was, was a profanation, an attack on the memory of my father. General Bonaparte, who was already a regular visitor to the house, took an interest in everything that went on there, and did not disdain to devote himself, with particular care, to the education of two children whose mother he soon hoped to marry; but they were aware of the reluctance we had already shown, my sister and I, for my mother to marry again, and they used the need for both of us to complete our education as an excuse to place us in two boarding schools in Saint-Germain. It was not long before we learnt at once of my mother's marriage to General Bonaparte, of his appointment as commander of the army of Italy, and finally of my mother's imminent departure to follow her husband. All this news would have pleased me very little if General Bonaparte, on leaving for Italy, had not given me a glimpse of a very flattering consolation: he promised to call me to his side as soon as, through assiduous and successful work, I had made up for the time that circumstances had caused me to lose.
So, apparently Eugène and Hortense had shown their dislike for this second marriage openly enough for Napoleon and Josephine not wanting to have them around for the wedding. Which is … yeah. Not particularly considerate. Presumably, this had hurt Eugène more than he lets show in his memoirs. I surely would not want to learn about my mother having married from my school principal (according to Hortense, she was called to Madame Campan’s office, and Madame Campan then carefully broke the news). I’d argue this was not the best start.
But let’s not forget that this is Eugène’s own POV. As he admits himself in the next paragraph, his education had indeed been much neglected (he had already been pushed from pillar to post even before the Revolution after his parents’ separation). The kids being sent back to school may have been more than just an excuse to have them out of the way for Napoleon and Josephine’s marriage.
As to the reasons why the kids were set against their mother remarrying, Eugène cites the memory of his father, in whose care he had grown up and whom he probably had a much closer personal relationship with than his sister. He also may have understood much more than Hortense about the ugly scenes that had happened when his parents had separated, so his mother remarrying may have felt to him as if Rose-Josephine now completely gave up on Alexandre, as if she ultimately declared that her first marriage had been a mistake.
But most of all, I think the children felt abandonned. After all, not even two years earlier, they had woken up one morning to learn that their mother had been taken to prison during the night. Françoise de Bernardy thinks that the letters the kids wrote home from their boarding schools often feel as if they were very protective of their mother, almost as if they had been the adults and Josephine the child. All their childhood had been turmoil. Their mother was the only thing left they could cling to.
But both children were, as a rule, docile and well-behaved, and especially Eugène had this innate desire to please, to be loved, and to win the appreciation of whatever father figure was available in his life at any given time. So it would not take long for Napoleon to win them over. We do not have any letters from Eugène to Napoleon from this time, afaik, we only know he wrote because Napoleon mentions it. We do have a letter from Napoleon to Hortense, in reply to a somewhat defiant letter she had sent. Presumably, Hortense, being younger and closer to her mother, had been more hostile than her brother. But I doubt she would have expressed her feelings too openly; Madame Campan would have taken care of that.
I also always feel like I have to add a bit of a caveat with regards to Eugène’s and Napoleon’s relationship. Yes, I would argue this was most likely the closest thing to a father-son-relationship Napoleon ever experienced during his life. But it always remained at a certain distance. Napoleon called Eugène tu in private, obviously, but in letters and later at court it’s always vous. And while we have multiple remarks of "paternal love" and "filial devotion" etc in their correspondence, I yet have to find a single instance of Eugène referring to Napoleon as a father. Even in letters to his mother and sister he speaks of either "Bonaparte" or later "the emperor". Napoleon does of course call Eugène his son in every letter since the adoption. But this is first and foremost a formality; prince Karl von Baden who had married Napoleon’s adopted daughter Stéphanie de Beauharnais is adressed as "mon fils" just like Eugène.
Aaaand considering that I only wanted to quote Eugène, this has gotten unbearably long once again. Sorry for that 😚. I always get so excited whenever somebody shows an interest in the boy.
Thanks for the Ask, I hope this was helpful!
38 notes · View notes
ic-napology · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Josephine and Fouché talking.
It's supposedly set between 1794-5. I know I took a lot of liberties in terms of costuming, because I wanted to communicate things through the dresses and having fun)
98 notes · View notes
diioonysus · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
necklaces/chokers + art
7K notes · View notes
mangaandanimeposts · 2 months
Text
Their first meeting❤️🥹... this manga is too underrated. It's "Bara no Josephine"/ "Josephine the French Rose" by Yumiko Igarashi. Youn can read it on Manga Fire.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
27 notes · View notes
pedroam-bang · 1 month
Text
Tumblr media
Napoleon (2023)
8 notes · View notes
empirearchives · 6 months
Text
Women writers in Napoleonic France:
“In the archives of the Napoleonic Ministry of the Interior we discover that Félicité de Choiseul-Meuse, was dependent on official patronage for her survival. Remembered today as the author of the infamously pornographic pastiche of Rousseau’s Nouvelle Heloïse, titled, Julie, ou j'ai sauvée ma Rose (1807), among many other works, Choiseul-Meuse clearly found an audience for her literary productions, not only in the market-place, but in the corridors of power as well.”
“There is also considerable evidence of the sustained inclusion and recognition of women of letters by the major literary and scientific academies—for example, Louise de Kéralio (history), Pauline Guizot (moral theory), Fanny de Beauharnais (novels), Charlotte de Bournon, Countess of Malarme (novels), Claudine Guyton de Moreau (natural sciences), Anne Marie de Montgergoult de Coutances, Countess de Beaufort d'Hautpol (poetry), and Sophie Bacquié (poetry). After years of patronage from the Napoleonic regime, in 1815, Mme Dufrénoy became the poet laureate of the Française Académie, its highest literary honor.”
“In 1804 Fortunée Briquet, with whom I began, compiled a Dictionnaire historique, littéraire et bibliographique des françaises et des étrangères naturalisées en France. In her dedication of the work to the First Consul, Napoleon Bonaparte, Briquet reflected on the tumultuous fifteen years since the Old Regime had fallen. She exulted that ‘No other century has begun with such a great number of women of letters.’ To prove it, her Dictionnaire offered the literary records of 583 women from the age of Clovis to the present, culled from a very impressive range of bibliographic sources.”
Source: Carla Hesse, The Other Enlightenment: How French Women Became Modern
18 notes · View notes
bambooale · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Recently,Bonaparte looked after little Eugène-Rose de Beauharnais.
Bonaparte always likes to break some things . so I think he is not good at handwork?(Or he didn't have much time for Halloween Costumes?)He loves child very much . So he tried,not best!But it was unexpectedly appropriate!
*Bonaparte wrapped himself in strips of cloth he had cut out, made a coffin out of cardboard(*Made a corner out of cardboard to Eugène),likes a mummy!
——————
૮ ºﻌºა:Bonaparte looks like a baby seal!
ʕ☆ᴥ☆ʔ!!!:I didn't see it until you told me!!! You are right!!!
78 notes · View notes
basiamilles · 1 year
Note
ooooh, tell us some of your favorite facts about empress josephine
@lilybarthes - since you asked…! ❤️
10 facts for y’all. Basically the story of Josephine is #girlboss, #gaslight, #gatekeep.
1. went by “Rose” to her family until she adopted Josephine later in life (real name: Marie-Josèphe-Rose)
2. raised on the gorgeous island of Martinique & had a wild and free upbringing in contrast to fashionable rich French ladies. Feel I must also mention this dark aspect of her Martinique heritage: she is blamed with persuading Napoleon to reinstate slavery in the French Caribbean (TBH he probably would’ve done this anyway for imperialist reasons? It was newly outlawed during the French Revolution). Regardless, this is why the statue of her in Fort-de-France (Martinique’s capital) was headless and splattered with red paint for ages! now it is gone entirely.
3. Girl had a huge sweet tooth (I relate), which gave her bad teeth & caused her to develop her closed mouth smile
4. She was considered très gauche when she arrived in France from the Caribbean & had a miserable time when she arrived to marry her first hubs at age 15. He turned out to be a total asshole as a husband (but by all accounts quite good-looking), & his aristocratic neck got the axe in the French Rev. Josephine was also imprisoned, but luckily Robespierre himself was beheaded shortly after this, which paused the guillotine-happy days of the Reign of Terror!
5. faked her age on her marriage certificate to Napoleon to minimize their age difference (she was 6 years older)
6. Bought Malmaison while her mans was in Egypt with money they didn’t have but that she expected him to bring back for her; had a field day renovating it to the nines and filling the grounds with rose gardens & exotic animals
7. Simply dominated the dominator of Europe himself! She basically ignored Napoleon once she’d gotten a ring on it while he worshipped the ground she walked on; his early letters to her from his campaigns are just raving about how he loves her & complaining about he can’t get a word back from her
8. After they divorced, napoleon was still so infatuated he let her retain her title as Empress, and of course, famously his last word on his deathbed in exile was *said* to be “Josephine”
9. Major patron of the arts and also chic! could say she popularized the Empire-style dress that has defined a hundred period piece films. most importantly she understood that fashion and aesthetics are political, and used sartorial references from Catherine de Medici to Ancient Greece & Rome to establish that this is an EMPIRE & an all-powerful political dynasty! (except, it wasn’t.)
10. Only marginally related: her daughter Hortense was besties with US president James Monroe’s daughter Eliza…who named her only daughter Hortensia! Hortense de Beauharnais’ portrait still hangs in the Monroe home in Virginia (I’ve seen it)! Wonder if they talked much about politics.
43 notes · View notes
carreimperial · 8 months
Text
Napoléon & Joséphine : Mariage arrangé
Tumblr media
Le dimanche 21 septembre 2014, lors d'une vente aux enchères à Rueil-Malmaison, le Musée des lettres et des manuscrits de Paris avait acquis pour 350000 euros (437500 euros, taxes comprises) le contrat de mariage liant le général Napoléon Bonaparte à Marie-Josèphe Rose Tascher dite Joséphine. Cet exemplaire est celui de l'Impératrice Joséphine. Les Archives nationales conservent celui de Napoléon. Le 24 mars 2013, la bague de fiançailles était adjugée à 896400 euros à la maison Osenat de Fontainebleau.
Date : 9 mars 1796
Lieu : mairie du 2e arrondissement de Paris, à l'hôtel Mandragon, rue d'Antin.
Début février 1796, le général Napoléon Bonaparte et Joséphine (Marie-Josèphe Rose Tascher) décidèrent de se marier - publication du 7 février, 17 ventôse an IV.
A l'époque, l'annonce de ce mariage surprit et dérangea l'entourage à cause de leurs différences : Joséphine, âgée de 32 ans, veuve du général Alexandre de Beauharnais, mère de deux enfants. Napoléon, âgé de 26 ans, sans enfant.
Bien que fort séduit, Napoléon comprit aussi tout l'avantage de s'unir avec l'amie de Paul Barras, l’homme fort du gouvernement de la Première République française. Le 9 mars, après 22h00, le mariage fut prononcé à la mairie du 2e arrondissement de Paris, à l'hôtel Mandragon, rue d'Antin. Le 18 mars, le contrat fut enregistré et les copies authentiques destinées aux époux furent envoyées.
Autorités présentes
Collin-Lacombe, commissaire ;
Maurice-Jean Raguideau de La Fosse, notaire ;
Étienne-Gabriel Jousset, notaire.
Témoins des mariés
Paul Barras, membre du directoire exécutif ;
Capitaine Jean Lemarois, aide-de-camp de Napoléon ;
Jean-Lambert Talien, membre du corps législatif ;
Étienne-Jacques-Jérôme Calmelet, homme de loi.
Toutes les modifications et étrangetés
Pour se conformer aux mœurs de l'époque, les âges des mariés ont été modifiés. Joséphine est rajeunie de quatre ans, soit 28 ans, et Napoléon est vieilli d'un an, soit 28 ans, né le 5 février 1768 au lieu du 15 aout 1769 (cette date est antérieure au 15 mai 1768, date du traité de Versailles attestant l'occupation et l'administration de la Corse par le Royaume de France).
L'adresse du domicile de Napoléon n'est pas rue d'Antin, mais rue Neuve des Capucines, aujourd'hui rue des Capucines.
Napoléon est désigné comme général en chef de l’armée de l’Intérieur, alors que le 2 mars, il fut nommé commandant en chef de l’armée d’Italie.
La minute du contrat fut signée le 8 mars devant les notaires Raguideau de La Fosse et Jousset et en présence du capitaine Lemarois.
Charles-Théodore-François Leclercq, officier public de l'état-civil du 2e arrondissement du canton de Paris, est désigné comme autorité du mariage, mais il partit avant et fut remplacé par le commissaire Collin-Lacombe.
L'article 1er du contrat indique que les époux ne seront nullement tenus des dettes et hypothèques l’un de l’autre, mais 3 ans plus tard, le 18 avril 1799, une apostille du tribunal civil de la Seine vint se joindre au contrat, attestant l’inscription d’un acte privé sur un registre public. En effet, pendant que Napoléon était en Orient, Joséphine demanda la séparation des biens avant son achat du château de Malmaison. Elle emprunta pour cela des sommes que son mari rembourserait personnellement à son retour.
Extrait original
Article 1er. Il n'y aura aucune communauté de biens entre les futurs époux… en conséquence les futurs époux ne seront nullement tenus des dettes et hypothèques l’un de l’autre.
"Par devant les notaires à Paris soussignés, furent presens Napolione Buonaparte, général en chef de l’armée de l’Intérieur, demeurant à Paris, rue d’Antin…, originaire d’Ajaccio en Corse, fils de défunt
Charles Buonaparte et de Letizien Ramolini, son épouse, actuellement sa veuve, stipulant pour lui et en son nom, d’une part, et Marie Josephe Rose Tascher, veuve d'Alexandre François Marie Beauharnois, duquel elle a deux enfans, Eugène et Hortense, demeurant à Paris, rue Chantereine…, la dite citoyenne née en l’isle Martinique du mariage de Gaspard Tascher, capitaine de Dragons et Rose Claire Des Vergers, son épouse, stipulant pour elle et en son nom, d’autre part, lesquelles parties, dans la vue du mariage proposé entre elles en ont arrêté les conditions civiles ainsi qu’il suit.
Article 3e. Chacun des futurs époux contribuera pour moitié aux charges du mariage.
Article 2e. Chacun des futurs époux jouira à part et divisément des biens, droits et actions tant meubles qu’immeubles lui appartenant et pouvant lui appartenir par la suite à quelque titre et à quelque cause que ce soit et en quoi qu’ils puissent consister… la future épouse ne restant tenue de recourir à l’autorisation de son mari que pour les actes qui emporteroient aliénation de ses capitaux. Le futur époux autorise d’ailleurs la future épouse à continuer les fonctions de la tutelle qui lui a été déférée des deux enfans mineurs issus de son premier mariage…
Article 4e. Le futur époux constitue à la future épouse un douaire de quinze cens livres de rente annuelle et viagère, valeur ancienne…
Article 6e. La future épouse déclare et le futur époux reconnois que les meubles, linges, l’argenterie, et généralement tous les biens meubles corporels dont la future épouse est maintenant en possession appartiennent à la communauté qui a subsisté entre elle et son premier mari et qui a continué avec ses enfans, faute par elle d’avoir fait faire inventaire dans le délai prescrit par la loi. Que la future épouse fait actuellement procéder à cet inventaire et qu’il est sur le point d’être mis à fin. Qu'elle, future épouse, ne peut déclarer maintenant le montant de sa fortune parce que tout dépend de la question de savoir si elle acceptera la communauté ou si elle y renoncera, ce à quoi elle ne peut se déterminer qu’après la confection dudit inventaire…"
Article 5e. Arrivant la dissolution du mariage, la future épouse et ses héritiers reprendront : 1° les habits, linge, hardes, dentelles, argenterie, bijoux et diamants à l’usage personnel de ladite future épouse, 2° tous les meubles et autres objets mobiliers et quelqu’espèce qu’ils soient que la future épouse ou ses héritiers justifieront avoir été acquis par elle ou autrement lui appartenir.
Apostille du tribunal civil de la Seine datée du 18 avril 1799 : "Insinué à Paris au bureau établi près le tribunal civil du département de la Seine le vingt neuf germinal an sept (18 avril 1799)… et transcrit
tout au long les articles premier et cinq au registre de forme dudit tribunal… à la réquisition du porteur qui a signé sur ledit registre et a été averti de la déclaration à faire dans les six mois du décès du prémourant et de réitérer l’insinuation de l’article premier relatif à la non communauté au greffe du tribunal civil…"
5 notes · View notes
jartitameteneis · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
El 9 de marzo de 1796, tras seis meses de romance, Napoleón Bonaparte se casó con Josefina Beauharnais. Napoleón llegó dos horas tarde a la unión civil y, como prenda de unión, le regaló a la novia lo que más apreciaba: el nombramiento de su mando en el Ejército de Italia, el deber militar que lo alejaría un largo tiempo del lecho nupcial, pero que a él, un hombre llamado a decidir el destino de los pueblos, le llenaba el ego.
Josefina tenía 33 años y él, 27; sin embargo, ambos mintieron su edad en el acta matrimonial; sus biógrafos descubrieron que ambos habían declarado tener 28 años.
Pero en realidad Josefina era la vizcondesa Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie. Había estado casada con el general Alexandre de Beauharnais, ejecutado por el terror revolucionario en 1793. De la unión con ese hombre mayor, mujeriego y alcohólico, sólo le habían quedado dos hijos; pero para la sociedad parisina, Josefina era la viuda de Beauharnais. Esa era su única carta de presentación.
Sin embargo, Josefina tenía origen noble. Sus ancestros, los Tascher, habían sido los colonizadores de la isla Martinica, en las Antillas, y la futura emperatriz de Francia se había criado allí. Algunos biógrafos sostenían que era esbelta, refinada y de pelo castaño. Otros, si bien no ponen duda en su belleza, acentúan sus costumbres tropicales y el desparpajo que la hacían tan atractiva ante los ojos de la pacata aristocracia parisina.
En resumen, fue el vizconde Alexandre de Beauharnais quien la había obligado a pulirse un poco estudiando escritura francesa, ética y literatura, cuando la joven se embarcó en América, rumbo a París, para casarse con él.
Napoleón entró en la vida de Josefina en julio de 1795, cuando se lo presentaron en una fiesta en la mansión de Paul Barras, un miembro del Directorio dispuesto a todo por tener a su lado a Napoleón, un joven oficial en franco ascenso.
Paul Barras era un personaje hábil, corrupto, libertino y bisexual notorio, y según sus biógrafos, la viuda de Beauharnais era una de sus amantes, cuando los futuros emperadores de Francia se conocieron. Por ello, Barras se la entregó en bandeja, para complacerlo.
La relación entre Napoleón y Josefina se extendió por más de trece años, tiempo en el cual no faltaron las mentiras y engaños mutuos. De sus aventuras Napoleón tuvo un hijo, en 1809, con la condesa polaca María Walewska. Sin embargo, necesitaba un heredero legítimo. Fue entonces cuando le dijo a Josefina que debían separarse para que él pudiera volver a casarse con otra mujer y tener el tan anhelado heredero.
Según la documentación de la época, Napoleón y Josefina se divorciaron el 10 de enero de 1810. Un año más tarde, el 11 de marzo de 1811, el emperador se casó con la Archiduquesa María Luisa de Austria, que era la bisnieta de María Antonieta. De esa relación nació el 20 de marzo de 1811 el primer hijo legítimo de Napoleón, el cual se llamó Napoleón François Joseph Charles. Mientras tanto, Josefina se fue a vivir al Castillo de Malmaison, cerca de París, en donde se dedicó al cultivo y cuidado de rosas hasta que murió, el 29 de mayo de 1814.
Imagen. A pesar de la pasión, de las infidelidades mutuas y la falta de entendimiento entre ambos, Josefina fue el gran amos de Napoleón y durante trece años de matrimonio vivieron en el Palacio de las Tullerías.
4 notes · View notes
napoleondidthat · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
This Josephine looks to be a moody one.
101 notes · View notes
venicepearl · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media
Joséphine Bonaparte (23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I. She is widely known as Joséphine de Beauharnais.
Her 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 the French emperor Napoleon III and the Brazilian empress Amélie of Leuchtenberg. Members of the current royal families of Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and Norway and the grand ducal family of Luxembourg also descend from her. Because she did not bear Napoleon any children, he had their marriage annulled in 1810 and married Marie Louise of Austria. Joséphine was the recipient of numerous love letters written by Napoleon, many of which still exist.
A patron of art, Joséphine worked closely with sculptors, painters and interior decorators to establish a unique Consular and Empire style at the Château de Malmaison. She became one of the leading collectors of different forms of art of her time, such as sculpture and painting. The Château de Malmaison was noted for its rose garden, which she supervised closely.
12 notes · View notes
misterzafiro · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media
Mister Zafiro as Empress Joséphine Bonaparte
Joséphine Bonaparte, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie, was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I. Her 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. Napoleon sent her many love letters. In February 1797, he wrote: “You to whom nature has given spirit, sweetness, and beauty, you who alone can move and rule my heart, you who know all too well the absolute empire you exercise over it!” However, Josephine rarely wrote back and when she did, her letters were dry and often tepid. Napoleon was said to have kept a picture of her in his pocket which he would plant many kisses on every passing hour. Josephine, however, never even looked at the picture of her new husband that Napoleon gave her.  Because she did not bear Napoleon any children, he had their marriage annulled in 1810 and married Marie Louise of Austria.  @orionshunt
10 notes · View notes
Text
Legacy
18 June 1815
Outside the windows of the Château de Malmaison, rain pours down in sheets.
“Do you think it’s raining there, too?” asks Marius.
Joséphine sighs. “If being married to a general for fifteen years has taught me anything, it’s that it doesn’t do to worry over such things.”
Marius puts down his tea. He’s in no mood to drink anything right now. “Did you ever stop caring for him?”
“No,” says Joséphine with a private smile. “He’s just that sort of man.”
Marius nods before looking up. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit. The way he and I left things … I didn’t know if I would be welcome. And after the divorce, I was even less certain.”
“It’s quite understandable.” She picks up the fan from her lap and opens it with a flick of her wrist. “You are forgiven now so long as you visit. It’s rather lonely: not many want to visit a woman in such a state as I.”
“I’d be happy to,” Marius assures her before looking out the window. “Do you think he’ll win?”
“If it were anyone else? No. Our dear Popo?” Her eyes grow distant. “It’s impossible to say.”
They sit in silence another minute, listening to the rain patter against the window.
“I don’t think it will matter.”
One of Joséphine’s dark eyebrows arches. “And why is that?”
“He lost sight of why he is doing all of this. He’s simply reached too far, antagonized too many, and has no sense of purpose to it all anymore.” Marius pauses, eyebrows furrowed before he shakes his head. “There was a time he cared for the state of France; now, all he cares for is his reputation.”
Joséphine’s eyes narrow over her fan, and she hums. “I see why he likes you.”
It’s Marius’s turn to be surprised. “What do you mean?”
She stretches leisurely over her chaise longue. “Oh, all of those years ago. Year four, 1795, whatever we’re calling it anymore. I see why he was drawn to you, and I see why he still cares so deeply for you.”
Marius’s eyebrows draw together. “I … spoke with him before he became well-known?”
“Oh please,” she says, “Napoléon was unimpressed with almost everyone he met those days — and they with him. Tell me, do you know my name?”
“Um.” He thinks. “de Beauharnais, no?”
“Rose,” she tells him. “Everyone called me Rose — everyone except Napoléon.”
Marius feels his face flush three different colors. “Oh, I — beg your pardon, I didn’t mean —”
She laughs. “It’s fine, it’s no bother at all: that’s just the kind of man Napoléon is. And, to be perfectly frank, I didn’t care for him for years after we married.”
The concept is utterly unthinkable to Marius.
“You wonder why I married him if I did not like him — I can see it in your face.”
He wonders how she could not have been enamored with Napoléon on-sight; after all, Marius had only met him a handful of days before she. “I suppose marriage is often a practice of convenience rather than love,” he says slowly.
“Precisely.” She rearranges her legs on the longue, skirts bustling as she does. “I found him repulsive, really. Appearance aside, he was arrogant and standoffish, and he gave the distinct impression at all times of having something to prove.” Perhaps in response to Marius’s expression (‘appearance aside’?), she leans forward on one arm. “It’s very unattractive.”
Marius shakes his head. “Then why would —”
“You stand for something, my dear boy. Has he ever told you about his father? Corsican lawyer who whored himself out to the French and admired her aristocracy?”
“Yes, some.”
“A spineless man,” says Joséphine dismissively. “And in a world with privileged nobility on one side and sycophantic grovelers on the other, I’m sure a young man with opinions and backbone — one who admired him, no less — was a breath of fresh air.” She looks derisively out the window. “This Bourbon Restoration business certainly has separated those who stand from those who slither.”
“What changed?”
“Hm?” Another one of Joséphine’s calculating eyebrows arches. It might have scared Marius once, but after twenty years, there’s something almost comforting about her judgment.
“To make you love him.”
“Ah.” She untwists herself, laying back on the longue and resuming her fanning as though she’d never stopped. “Well, I suppose he stopped having anything to prove, now, didn’t he? He took the opportunities he was given and made something of himself. He remained just as proud, but now people had a reason to want to talk with him. It’s no longer amusing to read aloud adoring love notes from the battlefield when they are written by someone of repute and renown.”
Marius wants to feel angry on Napoléon’s behalf, and maybe he should, but he can’t find it in himself to be. “I see.”
“No you don’t,” Joséphine tells him. She sounds almost bored. “That’s all right. What matters, is that you and I may be the only ones who truly know him — the only people in this whole world. Have you ever thought about that?”
He hasn’t.
“Not even his mother, not even himself: us alone. We alone see through the propaganda and the bold speeches; we alone know who he was before the prestige and the airs; we alone are the ones to whom he has bared his soul.”
“We … alone.” Marius at Joséphine’s ethereal form. “What happens when we’re both gone?”
“The same thing that happens to all great men, my dear,” she says, swiveling her head toward him. “History is written by the victors. Oh, they will try to erase him, they will try to paint him as an evil tyrant — and who knows? By the end, perhaps that was true.
“Nevertheless, what he created in his life will stand: his bridges and channels and museums and codes will stand. The art he commissioned, the missives he created, the research and records he funded. The precedent he set for the people living under his rule will live on, and the citizens of France will never again be satisfied living under a monarch.”
“Never again,” Marius repeats softly, closing his eyes. “I miss the man he was before.”
He hears her fan click shut, and the cold pressure of her hand rests over his as she says, “I know you do.”
“Will I see him again, do you think?” He looks back up at her, but Joséphine is looking out the window once more, expression at last openly somber.
“I don’t think you will.”
6 notes · View notes
mangaandanimeposts · 2 months
Text
I love them so much in this manga❤️... they're so sweet and they look so cute and good together there🥹🫶🏻 I would really love to see an anime based on this manga❤️
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Manga: Josephine the French Rose/ Bara no Josephine- Yumiko Igarashi
Characters: Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais
17 notes · View notes