Napoleon Bonaparte Family Tree: The Story Behind France's Emperor

Napoleone Buonaparte, born 15 August 1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica, French Kingdom, was Emperor of the French (1804–1814; 1815) — one of the most-consequential military and political figures in modern European history. Defeated at Waterloo (18 June 1815); exiled to Saint Helena where he died 5 May 1821.

The Family's Roots: A Corsican-Italian Minor Noble Family

The Buonaparte family was Italian (Genoese) of Corsican-Italian descent — minor nobility on the island of Corsica, which had passed from Genoese to French rule in 1768 (a year before Napoleon's birth).

His Parents

Father: Carlo Maria di Buonaparte (1746–1785) — Corsican lawyer; appointed minor representative of Corsica to the French royal court; died of stomach cancer when Napoleon was 15.

Mother: Maria Letizia Ramolino Buonaparte (1750–1836) — known as "Madame Mère" during the Empire; survived Napoleon by 15 years.

His Siblings

The Buonaparte siblings, all of whom Napoleon eventually elevated to thrones across Europe:

Joseph Bonaparte (1768–1844) — eldest brother; King of Naples (1806–1808); King of Spain (1808–1813).

Lucien Bonaparte (1775–1840) — Prince of Canino and Musignano.

Elisa Bonaparte (1777–1820) — sister; Princess of Piombino and Lucca; Grand Duchess of Tuscany.

Louis Bonaparte (1778–1846) — King of Holland (1806–1810); father of Napoleon III.

Pauline Bonaparte (1780–1825) — sister; Princess Borghese.

Caroline Bonaparte (1782–1839) — sister; Queen of Naples (1808–1815, with her husband Joachim Murat).

Jérôme Bonaparte (1784–1860) — youngest brother; King of Westphalia (1807–1813).

His First Wife: Josephine de Beauharnais

Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763–1814) — Martinique-born widow of General Alexandre de Beauharnais (guillotined 1794); married Napoleon 9 March 1796. Annulled January 1810 (childless).

His Second Wife: Marie Louise of Austria

Marie Louise of Austria (1791–1847) — daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Francis II; married Napoleon April 1810.

His Son: Napoleon II

Napoleon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte (1811–1832) — only legitimate son with Marie Louise; King of Rome; Napoleon II of France (briefly, July 1815, after Waterloo); raised in Austria; died of tuberculosis at age 21.

The Bonaparte Family Tree at a Glance

Family Origins: Italian-Corsican minor nobility; Ajaccio.

Father: Carlo Buonaparte (1746–1785) — lawyer.

Mother: Letizia Ramolino Buonaparte (1750–1836).

Siblings: 7 — Joseph (King of Spain), Lucien, Elisa (Grand Duchess of Tuscany), Louis (King of Holland; father of Napoleon III), Pauline, Caroline (Queen of Naples), Jérôme (King of Westphalia).

First Wife: Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763–1814; m. March 1796, annulled January 1810; no surviving children).

Second Wife: Marie Louise of Austria (1791–1847; m. April 1810).

Legitimate Son: Napoleon II / King of Rome (1811–1832; died at 21, tuberculosis).

Napoleon Bonaparte:

  • Born 15 August 1769, Ajaccio
  • École militaire, Paris (1784); commissioned 2nd lieutenant of artillery, 1785
  • French Revolution: rose rapidly; Toulon 1793; Italian campaign 1796–97
  • First Consul of France: 1799–1804
  • Emperor of the French: 2 December 1804
  • Napoleonic Wars: Austerlitz (1805), Jena (1806), Friedland (1807), Wagram (1809), Borodino (1812); disastrous Russian campaign (1812)
  • Abdicated April 1814 after Allied invasion of France; exiled to Elba
  • Hundred Days: escaped Elba February 1815; defeated at Waterloo 18 June 1815
  • Exiled to Saint Helena: died 5 May 1821, age 51
  • Napoleonic Code (1804): still the basis of civil law in many countries

What the Bonaparte Family Story Teaches Us

A Corsican lawyer father who died at 39. A mother who outlived almost all her children. Seven siblings — all placed on thrones across Europe. Two marriages; one annulment; one tubercular son who died at 21. A nephew (Louis-Napoleon, son of Louis) who would become Emperor Napoleon III of France from 1852 to 1870.

For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the Bonaparte story carries the same lesson. Some families take power and distribute it among the siblings. The Bonaparte siblings on thrones across Europe is one of the most-deliberate dynastic arrangements in history. Write down what each family member received — and whether they kept it.

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