After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal Final Days of Napoleon
Jul 24, 2025
Delve into the conspiracy theories surrounding Napoleon's final days. Was he poisoned by his friends or perhaps his own wallpaper? The hosts unravel myths, including the bizarre claim about his removed penis. They explore his life in exile and analyze symptoms that led to his decline. Listen as they dissect claims of arsenic poisoning and a cologne-induced demise, alongside autopsy findings. The intrigue continues with the repatriation of his remains and the legacy of myths that have shaped his story.
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Exile Shrunk A Global Figure
- Napoleon's final exile on St Helena reduced a global figure to a small, constrained daily life.
- The island's remoteness and Longwood House's modesty framed his decline and myth-making after death.
Crowds Row Out To See Napoleon
- Maddy describes crowds rowing out from Devon and Cornwall to glimpse Napoleon off the English coast.
- This anecdote highlights his extraordinary celebrity even while captured and in transit to exile.
Routine, Decline, And Myth Formation
- On St Helena Napoleon's routine narrowed to baths, pacing, gardening and dictating memoirs.
- His physical decline, weight gain and confinement fed later myths about his death and dignity loss.