In St Helena, Admiral Cockburn implemented the British policy of denying Napoleon his imperial title. Henceforth, he insisted, the former emperor was to be addressed as “General.” More than that, in a effort to delegitimize his right to lead the French, the British used the Corsican spelling of his name so “Bonaparte” reverted to the Italian-sounding “Buonaparte.”
Finding Napoleon in London — Admiral Cockburn Read More »
If you are reading this blog, you probably know that Napoleon Bonaparte spent his last six years in exile on St Helena Island in the remote south Atlantic Ocean. I visited the island in 2011 and I’m always interested in learning more about its fascinating connection to Napoleon. I owe this blog post to one
A Childhood in 19th Century St Helena Read More »
Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on remote St Helena Island on May 5, 1821. His body was laid to rest in this modest site in the island’s Valley of Geraniums. The British government, fearing his influence even from the grave, kept the location carefully guarded. In 1840, Queen Victoria allowed the French to return their
The 193rd Anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte’s death Read More »
On May 5, 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte died in this room in exile on St Helena Island. Two years ago, on May 5, 2011, I was in Cape Town, South Africa, on my way to St Helena to do research for my novel. To commemorate the anniversary of the Emperor’s death, my husband and I visited
Anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Death Read More »
After seeing the photo of me riding an elephant, one of this blog’s readers asked if Napoleon had ridden a camel during his Egyptian Campaign (1798). Yes, Melanie! Here’s a photo I took of a small bronze statue of the Man himself on camelback. It’s displayed in the Musée Fesch in Ajaccio, Corsica, Napoleon’s hometown.
Napoleon on Camelback in the Musée Fesch Read More »
As far back as Corsican records go, Napoleon’s family signed their name “Bonaparte.” In 1759, Napoleon’s father, Carlo, in his quest to establish hereditary links to Tuscan nobility, changed to the Italian “Buonoparte” form. Ten years later, his second son, Napoleon, was born under that surname. Because Carlo had succeeded in establishing the family’s noble
Bonaparte or Buonaparte? Read More »
The recent death of the Galapagos Islands’ iconic tortoise, Lonesome George, sent me scrambling for my copy of The Voyage of the HMS Beagle. Sure enough, Charles Darwin, who made the Galapagos famous, had also stopped at St Helena Island. He arrived there on July 8, 1836, five and half years into his six-year trip
Darwin, Tortoises and St Helena Read More »
In exile on St Helena, Napoleon regretted not enriching Corsica when, as French emperor, he easily could have. Having developed an idyllic memory of his youth, he dictated to his secretary Las Cases that, “the Bonaparte family had retired [from Corsica] to Nice [in mainland France].” Napoleon’s last visit to Corsica was a quick stopover
Bonapartes Branded Corsican Outcasts Read More »
“Destiny urges me to a goal of which I am ignorant. Until that goal is attained I am invulnerable, unassailable. When Destiny has accomplished her purpose in me, a fly may suffice to destroy me.” Napoleon Bonaparte (from Napoleon: In His Own Words, 1916, edited by Jules Bertaut) These words, attributed to Napoleon, reflect the
Coincidence and the Man of Destiny Read More »
While I focused on writing my novel (working title: The Eaglet’s Legacy), October has flown by. As a final post before November, here’s a reminder to take a look at the video of photos from my trip to St Helena.
St Helena Slideshow Read More »
