At the far end of Longwood’s reception hall, the room in which Napoleon died, a door opens into the dining room. Here his companions-in-exile and his occasional guests gathered in the evening to eat a brief supper—for meals with Napoleon were only twenty-minute affairs. Afterward, they dissected battles or the emperor read aloud from Corneille, …
In 1819, the French general and grand marshal, Henri-Gratien Bertrand, who had accompanied Napoleon into exile, designed a large birdcage for Longwood House’s gardens. Chinese carpenters, who otherwise spent their time repairing the poorly-constructed house, built the cage and stocked it with doves and pheasants. At first, Napoleon admired it, but he was known to …
Beyond the Billiard Room lies the Reception Room. Here, Napoleon, standing by the fireplace, one arm resting on the black stone mantel, greeted his visitors. Here, he argued with the British governor, Hudson Lowe, whom both Napoleon and Lowe himself, viewed as his jailer. Here, on May 5, 1821, Napoleon died. This is Longwood’s hallowed …
As visitors did during Napoleon’s time, I entered Longwood House up the stone steps through the green latticed portico, and stepped into the Billiard Room. The French volunteers-in-exile who had accompanied Napoleon crossed that same threshold with heavy hearts for a man without a future. Back then, sympathizers and enemies alike must have felt awe …
After Napoleon’s burial on May 9, 1821, his French entourage left St Helena within days. Longwood House itself fell into neglect, reverting into an agricultural property. Napoleon’s own rooms were used to store farm equipment, while termites demolished much of the rest of the structure. Hearing of its sorry state in 1854, Napoleon III (our …
At first glance on a sunny day, Longwood House seems like a pleasant place to be exiled. The garden, in particular, presents a cheery face, with daisies, day lilies, and the native ebony bush in flower. In 1819, three years into his exile, Napoleon corralled his small entourage into planting a lush garden, much like …
