Napoleon’s Will

Finding Napoleon’s “Ashes” in Paris 179 Years Ago

The Retour des Cendres of Napoleon I on December 15, 1840 in Paris, by Jacques Guiaud (1811-1876), from Chateau de Versailles

France After Napoleon’s Death: Even after Napoleon Bonaparte died in 1821, he still threatened the kings of Europe. By declaring himself an emperor, Napoleon had undermined the hereditary “divine right of kings.” Worse, he installed liberal, secular constitutions throughout Europe. And everywhere, Napoleon spread the French Revolution’s concept of “merit over birthright.” So Louis XVIII […]

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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

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