Napoleon & the Grimaldis Expo: Seduction, Strategy and Survival

Napoleon & the Grimaldis Expo: Seduction, Strategy and Survival

There are new sovereigns in town. Or rather, very distinguished ones from the past. From now until August 31st, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco transforms into a time machine draped in velvet and brass, as it hosts “Monaco and the Napoleon(s): Destins croisés”. This is a gripping saga of exile, empire, opera, lost territory, and imperial romance. It’s also a rare opportunity to take an intriguing waltz through history. And yes, Napoleon is very much b…

How Napoleon Spent His Years in Exile

After his defeat at Waterloo in 1815, the purpose of the British exiling Napoleon Bonaparte to St. Helena wasn't to punish him. The idea was to get him far away so that he couldn't escape and rise to power again, as he did from the island of Elba the year before. St. Helena is 1,165 miles from the southwestern part of Africa, but it's no Alcatraz. It is a tropical volcanic island which had 6,000 residents at the time. Napoleon was installed at L…