I cannot let Napoleon's coronation go by without bringing to light some little known facts. At first, Napoleon had considered being crowned in the Church of the Invalides in Paris by the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, but, after a trip to Aix-la-Chappelle (Aachen) and Charlemagne's tomb, he decided otherwise. From Cologne (Koln), he wrote a letter to the Pope, inviting him to perform the sacred rite of coronation at Notre-Dame in Paris. Caffarelli, Napoleon's aide, was sent to Rome with the letter. The Pope, rather reluctantly, accepted the invitation and the ceremony was fixed for Sunday December 2, 1804 and Pius VII arrived in Fontainebleau, Napoleon's favorite castle on November 26 (Napoleon strongly disliked Versailles). The Imperial Guard was there to welcome him. In the mean time, preparations were underway under Duroc (Napoleon's Grand Marshal) and General Lebrun (Governor of Paris) and the ministers. Their task was not an easy one as these gentlemen were all tangled up in titles, protocols and, on top of all the red tape, they were besieged with requests for special treatment from all the new Imperial nobility in which the women were not slow in needling their husbands to get favorable treatment. Napoleon was excluded from these intrigues although his Imperial family - especially his three sisters - were among the most active. Caroline nearly drove Murat mad, Elisa and Pauline exasperated Napoleon on the subject of precedence, jewels and dresses.... And that was only the beginning of his troubles with his family! Did Napoleon take some kind of a revenge for all the troubles the first ladies of the Empire had given him and his ministers? One could think so.... On the day of the Coronation, no carriages were allowed in the vicinity of Notre-Dame. Consequently, all the pretty ladies, wives or relations of the Imperial dignitaries with their low-cut gowns of very light material and thin slippers, had to walk from the Palais de Justice (some 300 yards away) through tortuous and muddy alleys, shivering in the icy wind (don't forget that it was December!). [1] My notes do not mention any report of dissatisfaction or resulting sickness but knowing the French as I do, a great deal of bitching must have taken place. Or, as we suggested before, was it a plot by the dignitaries of the Empire to avenge themselves for all the aggravations that their wives had given them prior to the Coronation? Napoleon during the Coronation said to his brother: Joseph, if our father could see us! More Leona's Corner Napoleon's Coronation and the Imperial Family The Napoleonic Soldier and Game My Preferred Way of Cooking Rabbits Footnotes [1] Napoleon et la Garde Imperiale and misc. notes. Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 2 No. 9 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com