The double of the emperor: who actually lived out his life on the island of Saint Helena
The double of the emperor: who actually lived out his life on the island of Saint Helena

Video: The double of the emperor: who actually lived out his life on the island of Saint Helena

Video: The double of the emperor: who actually lived out his life on the island of Saint Helena
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Portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte
Portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte

Even two centuries after the end of the Patriotic War of 1812, gossip about fate Napoleon Bonaparte do not subside. It is known that during his reign, the emperor was looking for people like him throughout the country. Supporters of hoaxes are inclined to believe that it was not Napoleon who lived out his life on the island of St. Helena, but his double.

Napoleon Bonaparte after his abdication at the Palace of Fontainebleau. Delaroche (1845). Fragment
Napoleon Bonaparte after his abdication at the Palace of Fontainebleau. Delaroche (1845). Fragment

It is believed that during the reign of Napoleon, 4 people similar to him were found. Each of them had a different fate: one fell from his horse and was crippled, the second was out of his mind, the third, acting as a "replacement" for the emperor, was killed, and the fate of the fourth turned out to be more entertaining.

François-Eugene Robo was a corporal. After the end of the war, he went home to the village of Baleykur. Quiet life lasted until, in 1818, a carriage drove up to the doorstep of Robo's house. The expensive decoration immediately caught the eyes of the residents. A few days later, François-Eugene and his sister disappeared. Later, Robo's sister was found in the city of Nantes. She lived in prosperity, and when asked: where did she get the money, she answered, they say, my brother gave it.

Napoleon on Saint Helena. Benjamin Robert Haydon
Napoleon on Saint Helena. Benjamin Robert Haydon

These events allowed historians and researchers to build a theory of Napoleon's escape from St. Helena. There is no direct evidence of confirmation of this theory, but there is more than enough indirect evidence. After the above events, Napoleon in exile suddenly began to forget the obvious facts of his biography. He confused dates, names, his handwriting became different, the man himself recovered very much, became clumsy. Officially, all this was attributed to the unfavorable conditions on the island and the depressed psychological state of the disgraced emperor. In addition, in the period from 1817-1818. the island of St. Helena, one by one, the emperor's entourage left.

Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte

At the same time in the Italian city of Verona a certain Mr. Révar appeared. This Frenchman opened a shop with his companion Petrucci. Revar was not at all interested in trade, and when the next undertaking brought a loss, the man simply waved his hand. By the way, many noticed the similarity of the merchant with Napoleonic portraits, for which he was given the nickname "Emperor". The man reacted to such statements simply with a smile.

Napoleon Bonaparte wearing a laurel crown
Napoleon Bonaparte wearing a laurel crown

Several years later, Revar suddenly disappeared. This happened after a bellboy knocked on the door of the store. A man who looked like an emperor hurriedly got ready, informing his companion that he urgently needed to leave. Before leaving, Revard handed Petrucci an envelope. If he does not return in three months, then the companion is obliged to take the letter to its destination: to the king of France. Thirty years after the incident, Petrucci and witnesses stated that the man known as Révara was Napoleon Bonaparte himself. This testimony was carefully recorded.

Death mask of Napoleon (1821)
Death mask of Napoleon (1821)

This hasty disappearance can be attributed to the incident at Schönbrunn Castle on September 4, 1823. There, Napoleon's son was dying of scarlet fever. A sentry on duty shot a man who was trying to climb over a hedge. After the body was examined by the authorities, the castle was immediately cordoned off. In turn, the former Empress Marie-Louise ordered to bury the unknown shot on the territory of the castle. This fact is often used by historians to support the theory of Napoleon's substitution.

Napoleon on Saint Helena
Napoleon on Saint Helena

In the church book of the village of Baleycourt you can find an entry concerning the probable double of Napoleon: “François-Eugene Robo was born in 1771. He died on the island of St. Helena. The date of death has been erased, and the place is clearly unambiguous, prompts certain thoughts. Be that as it may, there will always be many questions around Napoleon's fate. One of these events was The Battle of the Nations, which Napoleon lost because of the cowardice of his soldiers.

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