Napoléon Bonaparte married Joséphine de Beauharnais in a civil ceremony held in Paris, marking the beginning of a notable personal and political partnership. Joséphine, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie, was a widow who had two children from her previous marriage. Her experiences and connections provided Napoléon with essential social and political leverage during his early career. At the time of their marriage, Bonaparte was on the rise through the ranks of the French military and was beginning to gain political influence.

Their marriage was not merely a romantic union but a strategically significant one, as Joséphine's status as a widow and mother added to Bonaparte's legitimacy. The social context post-French Revolution emphasized personal choice in marriage, a departure from traditional aristocratic unions arranged for political gain. However, their relationship was complex and often tumultuous, marked by infidelity and separation, particularly due to Joséphine's inability to produce an heir. Despite their personal issues, their marriage served as a foundational element for Napoléon's later establishment of the French Empire.

The couple’s public appearances and Joséphine’s role as the hostess of Bonaparte’s gatherings contributed significantly to creating the image of a refined French court. Their marriage transformed the cultural landscape of France and notably impacted Napoléon’s political decisions and governance, propelling Joséphine into the heart of power during a revolutionary period.