Madame Bonaparte's Scandal Saga

In 1798, the whole of France found out about how their emperor was cheated on and how he felt about it. Headlines were full of Napoleon and Josephine's turbulent affairs of feelings.

Like some unpleasant joke, everything started when a British ship captured these letters, including the bellow mentioned heartfelt note to his brother Joseph.

Admiral Nelson couldn't believe what he was holding in his hand - a weapon to exploit one of the worst human fears, to be completely publicly humiliated.

The editor of the Morning Chronicle, James Perry, seized the moment, splashing parts of the letters on November 24, 1798. London and Manchester had a front-row seat to witness Napoleon shedding tears over his wife. As if that weren't enough, the Chronicle's buzz reached Paris, laying bare Napoleon's heartbreak and Josephine's tough times.

However, it humanized Napoleon more than humiliated him because in the eyes of the people he was the one experiencing heartbreak too. In the end, he was just human like everyone else, made of blood and flesh.

But other way around, the trouble had only just begun for Josephine. Once the toast of the town, she found herself in a world turning its back on her. Life lost its sparkle for the lady who once captivated everyone's attention.

As news of Madame Bonaparte's saga spread in France, Barras tried to hush it, but not successfully. Copies of the Chronicle circulated, turning the spotlight even more on the Bonapartes.

Feeling the heat, Josephine knew she was in trouble. Napoleon returned to France in October 1799 after being away for a year. Josephine tried to meet him on his way back, but they missed each other during the journey. When he reached her house, she wasn't there. He told the servants to remove her things. When she finally arrived, she was initially denied entry. However, she managed to get past the servants and ran to Napoleon's room, where she collapsed outside his locked door, crying. The arguments, pleas, and yelling continued for hours, but they found themselves back in each other's arms by dawn.

And once again, Josephine won with her tears.

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