Napoleon had five children. He adopted two, then he had two kids with his mistresses and, finally, one with his wife. Find out which of Napoleon’s children had their act together -and which did not: 1. Eugene de Beauharnais: reliability. Napoleon adopted Eugene in 1806. Portrait of Eugene by Andrea Appiani, 1810. (Photo: Chateau de Malmaison /CC0)

During his lifetime, Napoleon fathered or adopted at least eight children. Let’s have a closer look at their lives. 1. Hedonist Charles Leon — Napoleon’s first child. After becoming an emperor...

Napoleon had a son called Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte, who historical experts, including Britannica claim was Napoleon's only legitimate son. He briefly served as the emperor of France after his father's abdication in 1814 until Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815.

Mother of two children, Eugene and Hortense, Josephine married Napoleon Bonaparte, then a young general with a promising career ahead of him. It was her husband who renamed her Josephine. As Empress, she bore Napoleon no children and was forced to divorce him.

Only one of Napoleon Bonaparte's children was considered his legitimate heir. Napoleon and Empress Joséphine were unable to produce any children through nearly 14 years of marriage, which was the impetus for their divorce in 1810.