Empress of the French (1763-1814)Jos�phine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napol�on Bonaparte, and thus the first Empress of the French.Her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais was guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and she was imprisoned in the Carmes prison until her release five days after Alexandre's execution.Jos�phine was the recipient of numerous love letters written by Napoleon, many of which still exist. Her Chateau de Malmaison was noted for its magnificent rose garden, which she supervised closely, owing to her passionate interest in roses, collected from all over the world.