Eaglet

FINDING NAPOLEON’S SON AND HEIR

Napoleon's son, the King of RomePhoto by Margaret Rodenberg

Commemorating the birthday of the Eaglet, Napoleon’s only legitimate son As reported on March 21, 1811, in the Paris journal Le Monitor, Napoleon Bonaparte’s son, the King of Rome (nicknamed the Eaglet), was born on March 20, 1811: “Today, 20 March, at twenty minutes past nine in the morning, the hopes of France were realized: Her …

FINDING NAPOLEON’S SON AND HEIR Read More »

FINDING NAPOLEON IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

View of Longwood House, 1819, Attributed to Louis-Joseph Marchand, photo Margaret Rodenberg 2018, original Chateauroux, Musee-Hotel Bertrand

Napoleon: The Imperial Household Exhibit at the VMFA A fabulous exhibit of art and artifacts from Napoleon Bonaparte’s various households has been visiting the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It’s moving on to Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (October 19, 2018 – March 3, 2019) and then to the Chateau de Fontainbleau (April 3, …

FINDING NAPOLEON IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Read More »

Napoleon on St Helena: Reading Books

My last post covered a few of the ways Napoleon Bonaparte filled his days during his five-and-a-half-year exile on St Helena Island. However, his most important pastime—the one he did every day—was reading. Throughout his life, Napoleon was a voracious reader and book collector. As an impoverished young man, he lived a monkish life, often …

Napoleon on St Helena: Reading Books Read More »

More about Napoleon’s Son

Theoretically, Napoleon’s toddler son, known as the King of Rome and called François, became Napoleon II on June 22, 1815, when Napoleon abdicated in his favor after the battle of Waterloo.  In reality, the boy never ruled. With the help of France’s enemies, Louis XVIII claimed the throne, reestablishing the Bourbon dynasty. Meanwhile, young Napoleon …

More about Napoleon’s Son Read More »

The Boy on the Mantel in Longwood’s Dining Room

In 1796, Napoleon married Josephine Beauharnais, the widow of an aristocrat who had been guillotined.  On their wedding day, Napoleon was twenty-six and Josephine thirty-two.  His future looked promising; she was bankrupt.  He married for love, she for convenience.  They had a tumultuous life together until 1809 when it became clear she could never provide …

The Boy on the Mantel in Longwood’s Dining Room Read More »