A Valentine’s love story: Napoleon and Joséphine through their letters

Valentine’s Day is a time for grand gestures and heartfelt words, but in today’s world of instant messaging, the art of love letters has faded. Yet, few romances in history have been as passionately documented as that of Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine de Beauharnais.

Their love story, filled with longing, devotion, and betrayal, was immortalised in hundreds of letters Napoleon wrote to his wife. These handwritten words, filled with emotion, frustration, and undying affection, revealed a man deeply in love, struggling with distance and duty

Napoleon and Joséphine met in 1795 in Parisian high society. Joséphine, a widow with two children, had survived the Reign of Terror, while Napoleon was a rising military officer. Despite their differences, he was immediately captivated and pursued her with passionate letters. They married in 1796, just before he left for his Italian campaign.

Napoleon’s letters to Joséphine revealed a man deeply affected by separation from his beloved. Shortly after their marriage in 1796, while leading the French army in Italy, he wrote:

Since I left you, I have been constantly depressed. My happiness is to be near you. Incessantly I live over in my memory your caresses, your tears, your affectionate solicitude. The charms of the incomparable Josephine kindle continually a burning and a glowing flame in my heart. When, free from all solicitude, all harassing care, shall I be able to pass all my time with you, having only to love you, and to think only of the happiness of so saying, and of proving it to you? I will send you your horse, but I hope you will soon join me. I thought that I loved you months ago, but since my separation from you I feel that I love you a thousand fold more. Each day since I knew you, have I adored you yet more and more. This proved the maxim of Bruyere, that “love comes all of a sudden,” to be false. Everything in nature has its own course, and different degrees of growth.

In another letter from the same period, he expressed his longing:

“I write you, me beloved one, very often, and you write very little. You are wicked and naughty, very naughty, as much as you are fickle.”

These letters not only convey Napoleon’s deep affection but also his frustration over Joséphine’s infrequent responses, hinting at the strains in their relationship.

Their marriage faced numerous challenges, including infidelities and the pressures of political life. Napoleon’s letters often oscillated between expressions of deep love and feelings of jealousy. In one instance, he wrote:

“You do not write to me, my dearest. You do not love me. I am sorry, for it was so sweet to think that you did.”

Despite their deep bond, the absence of an heir led to their divorce in 1810. However, Napoleon ensured that Joséphine retained her title and continued to care for her, reflecting the enduring nature of their connection.

In his final moments on Saint Helena in 1821, Napoleon’s thoughts reportedly turned to his first wife. His last words are often cited as:

“France, the army, head of the army, Joséphine.”

Today, many of Napoleon’s letters to Joséphine are preserved in museums and private collections. Some have been auctioned, fetching significant sums due to their historical significance.