… Charles (Napoleon III) was NOT the emperor when he married, because the defeat of Napoleon I dissolved the empire. Napoleon III was the President of the 2nd French Republic at the time of his marriage.
Eugenie and Napoleon III were married in 1853, and they really didn’t like each other. He had been looking for a wife for political reasons, and she had been groomed all her life for a position of nobility.
Both saw the chance to achieve their goals, and agreed to some attraction that made it a bit more tolerable.
(Portrait: Eugenie in 1855 watches her husband receive an award)