The title "Empress of the French" was held by the wife of the French Emperor, specifically associated with Napoleon Bonaparte and his second wife, Marie Louise of Austria. This title was established during the First French Empire, which lasted from 1804 to 1814, and briefly in 1815 during the Hundred Days. The role symbolized the union of the French state and the imperial family. Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon's first wife, was the first to hold this title, but after their divorce, Marie Louise became the Empress. The title represented not only a position of power but also a significant cultural and political role in France during the Napoleonic era.