1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:11,399 Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Mankey listener discretion advised. Hello, welcome 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: to a very special episode of Noble Blood. I am 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: here with my friend, the brilliant writer and historian Jennifer Wright. 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: Hi Jennifer, Hi Danna. I am so happy to be 6 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: here again. I am genuinely thrilled to be doing this 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: episode with you. We are going to be talking about 8 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: Josephine Bonaparte, which was not her actual name, really it 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: was not, but for popular reference, Josephine Bonaparte. And what 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: I find very exciting is coincidentally, both you and I 11 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: separately saw the Napoleon movie, the Wordly Scott movie. Last night. 12 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: We did. Yeah. I was at the Americana. I was 13 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:46,639 Speaker 1: at the Grove. Oh my god. We were both doing 14 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: our Rick Caruso Many Many Town. That's a very la 15 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: thing to say. I really liked it. I had a blast. 16 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 2: I really enjoyed it. I think there are some historical accuracies. 17 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 2: I don't think they matter. I think there are historical 18 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: accuracies in Marie Antoinette by Sophia Coppola, doesn't stop it 19 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: from being an amazing movie. I think their historical inaccuracies 20 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 2: in Marie Antoinette starring Norma Shear doesn't make it less 21 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 2: of an amazing powerhouse performance by Norma Fear. 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: I have gone on the record and I will continue 23 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: to go on the record and say that I think 24 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: historical fiction should not operate like a history book. No, 25 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: it's entertainment. It's entertainment. It's about theme, it's about character, 26 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: it's about it's about vibes. It's vibe. 27 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 2: Slowly do they get the vibes of French Revolution and 28 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 2: the vibes of Napoleon being a very unpleasant little bit. 29 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: I wrote my letterbox review, which is the most film 30 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: broth thing I'll ever say. And then my letterbox review 31 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: is like, it is a misconception that Napoleon was short. 32 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: He was average. I that was average high time, was. 33 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 2: Very hunched, and he was poorly fed growing up because 34 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: his mother cared a great deal about having furniture in 35 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: about Saha, but not providing food for her children. 36 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: And of course there was the discrepancy in the English 37 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: system of measurement and the French system of measurement. And 38 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: also as a first. 39 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 2: Go if you were British Willington was five ten. 40 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: I and Napoleon had had two guards next tohem who 41 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 1: are very tall, very tall. But my letterbox review was 42 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: that Napoleon was not short. But as this movie makes 43 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: UPU net clear, he was Europe's weirdest little guy. That 44 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: that is exactly right, that is absolutely true. And the 45 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: beautiful Vanessa Kirby played Josephine, which we'll get into her life, 46 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: but to Segue, I will say I did find it 47 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: very hollywood that they got an actress like fifteen years 48 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: younger than Joaquin Phoenix, when. 49 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 2: When in reality, Josephine was six years older then Napoleon, 50 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 2: and Napoleon was very young when they met. It's twenty four. 51 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 2: Tell me about Josephine before they met. Well, I want 52 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 2: to talk about another person who I know we've talked 53 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 2: about on the podcast before as well, and that's Madame 54 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 2: Pompadour and the reason that my favorite historical woman, and 55 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 2: that's because when Josephine was fifteen years old, she was 56 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 2: told by a fortune teller that she would marry a 57 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 2: dark man who would cover the world in glory and 58 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: make her greater than a queen. And I was so 59 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 2: strict by this because this also happened to Madame Pompadour 60 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: Louis fifteenth mistress. 61 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: These fortunetage are just out here every pretty young girl. 62 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 2: I think these fortune tellers were not uncannily accurate. I 63 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 2: think they just realized that if a young girl comes in, 64 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 2: just tell her she's going to be a princess. 65 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:25,959 Speaker 1: And if she's a very beautiful, they're like, you will 66 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: marry a great man, a great man. Y, yes, yeah. 67 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 2: When Madame Pompter was nine, the fortune teller told her 68 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: that she would capture the heart of a king and 69 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 2: be not quite a queen, but a little queen. And 70 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 2: just to give you a little bit of perspective on 71 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: Madame Pompadour, because I think there's such fascinating archetypes of 72 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 2: pre revolutionary and post revolutionary women. Madame Pompadour, who was 73 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 2: born Jean Pusson, was by almost any stretch of the 74 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 2: definition a genius. She was extremely well educated. She was 75 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: almost compulsively well read, so much so that the most 76 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 2: famous portraits of her by Bouchet show her reading and 77 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: surrounded by more books. When she was told to get 78 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 2: married by her family, she married a wealthier man who 79 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: was not excited about the prospect of marrying this middle 80 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 2: class bourgeois woman. He met her, he was immediately in 81 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 2: love with her, so much so that he was devastated 82 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 2: when the king took her for his mistress. As soon 83 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 2: as she was let loose in Paris, she dominated every 84 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 2: literary salon. Vul Teraire became her closest friend. She was 85 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: able to secure him a position at court. And I 86 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: think it's pretty well established that once she was made 87 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 2: the King's mistress, she was a great champion of the enlightenment. 88 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 2: She fought against censorship. She was friends with Didero and Montesquie. 89 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 2: She fought the Catholic Church to create a French encyclopedia. 90 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 2: The king considered her his best adviser and consulted with 91 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 2: her on every matter. He should not have done that. 92 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 2: During the seven years of war, not know where to 93 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 2: place cannons, she was very. 94 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: Like, you know, and you know, I was gonna say, 95 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: you know, who knew how to play, can't place cannons, 96 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: just Napoleon. But I think it's also true that. And 97 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: I don't want to dismiss Madame Pompadour as being frivolous, 98 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 1: because I think she was very concerned about, for instance, 99 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 1: what she saws overreached the Catholic Church, or censorship or 100 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: the continued expansion of the Russian military. The metal. 101 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 2: Pompadour's greatest day to day concerned with whether or not 102 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,359 Speaker 2: she was able to sutly satisfy the king nine times 103 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 2: a day as he requested. Wow, all right, And when 104 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 2: her frail health after six years meant that she was 105 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 2: no longer able to do that, the King just gave 106 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 2: her a new role at court that basically equated to 107 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 2: the King's best friend. 108 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. 109 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: She celebrated it by giving him a naked statue of 110 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 2: herself popping her breasts at him, entitled the Spirit of Friendship. 111 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: Ha ha ha. That's a great that's a great inspiray. And 112 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 1: she's perhaps best remembered for her statement apri now lad 113 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: Yeu's that came after the epic failure that was the 114 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: Seven Years War, when Francis army was just destroyed and 115 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: their economy entirely depleted. And what it means is after 116 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: us will come the flood. 117 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 2: And Josephine was really bored into that flood quite literally. 118 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 2: She was born Marie joseph Rose tache de la pacherie. 119 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 2: She would come to be known as Josephine only when 120 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 2: Napoleon started calling her Josephine. She was largely known as 121 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 2: Rose throughout her life. 122 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: Untilda, well, that's the good thing about having three hyphenated 123 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: names is people can just choose their favor and go 124 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 1: with it. 125 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 2: And that is exactly what happened to Josephine. She was 126 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 2: born on a sugar plantation in Martinique in seventeen sixty three, 127 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 2: and she was born a year before Madame Pompadour died 128 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 2: at the age of forty two. Can I interrupt so 129 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 2: briefly just a historical fact that has always fascinated me. 130 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 2: Is Martinique went back in fourth between the British British 131 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,679 Speaker 2: friend and I know that it went from the British 132 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 2: to the French just four months before Josephine was born. 133 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: Yep. So there's a world where she was born and 134 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: she was British and she's off seducing. I don't know 135 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: the Duke of Wealling, Lord Nelson, Duke of Wellington. Sure. 136 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: When she was three her house was entirely destroyed by 137 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 2: a hurricane, and rather than rebuilding, as her father who 138 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 2: was a chronic gambler, just kind of moved them into 139 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 2: the one non destroyed part of the house. She was 140 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 2: never properly educated, to be fair. She was also not. 141 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: Interested in books in any capacity. 142 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, she was left to run essentially wild on the plantation. 143 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 2: She mostly ate sugar, which designed her teeth entirely and 144 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 2: made her very overweight. And just for a little perspective again, 145 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 2: because I love the balance between these two women. When 146 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 2: Madame Pompadour told her family about the fortune teller's prophecy, 147 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,119 Speaker 2: which she'd heard because she was on a girl's day 148 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 2: with her mom when she was getting their fortunes read, 149 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 2: her entire family was delighted and they started calling her Radat, 150 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 2: which means. 151 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: Our little queen. When Josephine told her family about the prophecy, 152 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: she was locked in a sack for eight days because 153 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: they accused her of consorting with a witch. Sure, so 154 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: Josephine is not growing up in the free, flourishing Enlightenment 155 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: era of France that some of her contemporaries were. And 156 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: because she now had rotted teeth and was very overweight 157 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: and her family was completely broke, she was not married 158 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: off to a plantation owner's son, and her marriage prospects 159 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: were looking very, very bad by the time she was fifteen, 160 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,599 Speaker 1: But she had an aunt who had been a marquis 161 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: mistress for eighteen years, and the marquis was getting older 162 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: and he was worried about the long term security of 163 00:08:55,360 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: his mistress. And Josephine's aunt convinced the marquis and Mary 164 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:06,439 Speaker 1: his son to Josephine. So Josephine goes off to marry 165 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: Alexandre de Beauharnay. He is seventeen. He already has a 166 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: twenty nine year old mistress. Her name is Madame DeLonge Prey. 167 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: Apparently she's very charming and witty. I've never read anything 168 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: about Madame Delongere that doesn't make her seem like a 169 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: bit but fine. He has a twenty nine year old mistress, 170 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: and he is horrified when Josephine gets off the boat. 171 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: He is deeply disappointed in her appearance. He's deeply disappointed 172 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: in her lack of education. He starts forcing her to 173 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 1: go out to literary salons, of where people immediately make 174 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: fun of her for being an idiot. Women say that 175 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,199 Speaker 1: she looks like a little girl dressed up in her 176 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: mother's clothes, Joseph and Okay, to be fair, I don't 177 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: want this to be me. But the literary salons at 178 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: this particular time were mostly just discussing Dangerously Asons, which, look, 179 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: they were very specific book clubs. I love Dangerously Asons, 180 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: but it used four hundred pages of very horny letters 181 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: from imaginary aristocrats back and forth. Yeah. 182 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 2: If your only takeaway after reading Dangerously Asons was I 183 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 2: think it would be fun to have sex with the 184 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 2: vicant de Valmond. That would be a completely valid contribution, 185 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 2: and indeed all it should. 186 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: What if he's played by Ryan Phillipp exactly? 187 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, what if they made him wear a suit as 188 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 2: a high school student? 189 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: Well, of course, very sexy. I once saw this is 190 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: my fun fact. I once saw Dangerously aisms on Broadway 191 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: with leab Dreiber in that role, and it doesn't work. 192 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: I saw it too. He was not work. He looks 193 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: like a dock. I also thought Alan Rickman clips I 194 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: was still online if you ever want to look those. 195 00:10:58,040 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: My take on leib Dreiber was I was like, I 196 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:01,959 Speaker 1: think he was going through a divorce at the time, 197 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: and I was like, is there a real wine in 198 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: the carross? Like he did not seem like engage. He's 199 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,439 Speaker 1: a good actor, and it just was not workings and 200 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: seemed like he has the finesse of the velmonk. No, 201 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: he did not seem sneaky. Yeah it did not work. Yeah, 202 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: no he uh he seems he seems like a battle axe. 203 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,959 Speaker 1: He doesn't seem like someone who enjoys the secrecy and 204 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: power game surroundings. Yeah. So that is my little Broadway 205 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: review corner. Please continue. So he's being mocked at this out, 206 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: he's being mocked at the salons and in she ends 207 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:37,439 Speaker 1: up having two children by Alexandre and there is Look, 208 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 1: there is a part of me that loves the fact 209 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: that Medame Pompadour so thoroughly dominated the public imagination in 210 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: terms of what a sexy, desirable woman he is. Alexandri 211 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: responded to this by being like, I cannot possibly fuck 212 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 1: let alone love a woman who does not go to 213 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: book clubs. I mean that's great. It's like when you 214 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: know our culture or what is sexy is a cultural concert. 215 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: I think that like in the early two thousands, there's 216 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: that Girl's Gone wild, Paris held the thing and then 217 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: we got like the smartest sexy and I think that 218 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: it's interesting that that was still happening in the seventeen hundred. 219 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: It flactuates back and forth, and that is fascinating. Isn't 220 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 1: it fun that women have to shape our very identities 221 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: in order to be desirable. 222 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 2: Yes, But Alexandre says that he can not possibly remain 223 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 2: at home with this object who has nothing to say 224 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 2: to him. So again, this is devastating for Josephine, and 225 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 2: he goes off with his mistress, Lord de Longpree, but 226 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 2: not before impregnating Josephine twice. Now when she is having 227 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 2: his second immediately after she has important is number one 228 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 2: nine gene yeah, Eugenie yep. Immediately after she had his 229 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 2: second child, alex decides to divorce her so he can 230 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 2: be with his mistress. In a truly insane response, he 231 00:12:55,880 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 2: accuses her of infidelity. He says that she is lower 232 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 2: than all the sluts. 233 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: On the earth. Josephine has been nothing but faithful this 234 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: entire career. Calling Josephine a slut, I'm sorry also for 235 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,559 Speaker 1: using this lay. They say it explicitly in the movie 236 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: Napoleon Bade You Well. We'll come to that. Yeah, but 237 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: at this point, totally fine, At this point, very very fine, uh, 238 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: and again not to slut him, be a slud do whatever. Sure, 239 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: at this point she has been nothing but incredibly faithful 240 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: to Alexandre. Josephine retires to a convent to wait out 241 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: the proceedings for legal separation. A lot of women did this, 242 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: getting back to dangerous liaisons. Madame Trouvelle retires to a 243 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: convent to escape the advances of the Vicon de velment. 244 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: And if you've if you're listening to Noble Blood, if 245 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: you've been listening to noble blood, Isabella or Isabella of Angoulem, 246 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: retires to a convent after her scandal. Exactly so. 247 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 2: Lots of stylish women are staying at this convent, and 248 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 2: in an almost unheard of turn of events, the judge 249 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 2: actually sides with Josephine during the legal separation and he 250 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 2: agrees that Josephine has been wronged. He orders Alexandre to 251 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 2: take care of his children and to withdraw any accusations 252 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 2: towards Josephine. Alexandre does none of that, but fortunately the 253 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 2: other women at this convent had taken note upon themselves 254 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 2: to give Josephine a makeover, so they teach her how 255 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 2: to use makeup, which she will use a massive amount 256 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 2: of throughout the rest of her life. They also showed 257 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 2: her how to lose weight, mostly by not subsisting entirely 258 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 2: on candy. And the fashions were also changing. Marie Antoinette 259 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 2: was going through her Tea trianon phase right now, so 260 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 2: instead of the huge pompadour roughly hyperfeminine gowns, people were 261 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 2: dressing in much more simple muslin gowns, and that suited 262 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 2: Josephine a lot better and she felt a lot more 263 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 2: comfortable in that. So after her time at the convent, 264 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 2: she went to Fontainebleau where the king had his hunt, 265 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 2: and she charmed the master of the hunt. He invited 266 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 2: her to come along hunting with the various aristocrats that 267 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 2: the king invited. She was able to find a protector 268 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 2: very quickly. I think she had three of them. All 269 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 2: of them were about twenty years older than her. They 270 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 2: were giving him a tremendous amount of jewels. She was 271 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 2: able to take care of her children, and I think 272 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 2: had things continued this way, she probably would have ended 273 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 2: up like her aunt, being a permanent mistress to one 274 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 2: of these men. Except a revolution happens in seventeen eighty nine, 275 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 2: the revolution promising equality for the common people comes and 276 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 2: Alexandra for wanting his miserable, fucking life is a little 277 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 2: bit useful for Josephine. 278 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: He was a noble, but he was also so a 279 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: staunt anti royalist. 280 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 2: He was a vicante. This is stupid. He shouldn't have 281 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 2: done this. But he became a key member of the 282 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 2: National Assembly, representing a group of nobles that believe that 283 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 2: the monarchy should be a ball And of. 284 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: Course this ended really famously well and he worked out 285 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: great for him. But when the royal family attempted to 286 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: flee the country, it was Alexandre who dispatched the writers 287 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: to bring him back and a National Assembly that everybody 288 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: had to wait until the royal family returned. But they 289 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: couldn't get away from this. 290 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 2: He emerged very briefly as a hero to Paris, and 291 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 2: Josephine is suddenly very much in style. She's being invited everywhere. 292 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: She is seen very. 293 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 2: Briefly as being a hero of the revolution. Unfortunately, the 294 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 2: promise of democracy did not change France's situation at all. 295 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 2: The people who were starving before are still starving, and 296 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 2: by seventeen ninety three, the Reign of Terror, led by 297 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,360 Speaker 2: robes Bay had begun, and it was carried out with 298 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:09,439 Speaker 2: the intent of eliminating anyone deemed parasitic on the state, 299 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 2: and of course that includes all royals and all members 300 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 2: of the Catholic Church. 301 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: Oh and Josephine's husband gets the Jophine's husband is guillotine very, 302 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: very quickly. It's so fascinating. 303 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 2: I don't want to dwell too much on the Reign 304 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 2: of Terror, but a reign of terror is fascinating to me. 305 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:36,680 Speaker 2: The executions were based on everything. The one that fascinates 306 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,160 Speaker 2: me is that some executions happened because people had old 307 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 2: playing cards and it was seen as showing sympathy towards kings. 308 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 3: And sure, if you're playing cards, what you think. One 309 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 3: of the other special horrors with the revolution that always 310 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 3: sticks in my mind, special starring special horrors horrors of 311 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,160 Speaker 3: the Reign of Terror, is that a lot of aristocrats 312 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:04,920 Speaker 3: had dogs. Uh so their dogs went wild after they 313 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 3: were dragged to the guillotine, and it meant that rabbit 314 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 3: packs of dogs were roaming the street drinking blood out 315 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,880 Speaker 3: of the gutters. So the army had to be dispatched 316 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 3: to start shooting the dogs. 317 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: That's also another I mean, it feels like those stories 318 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 1: are reappearing because a few hundred years earlier, we're going 319 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: to get a dog with the beheading of Mary, Queen 320 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,480 Speaker 1: of Scones. Famously, when before she went to get beheaded, 321 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 1: she hit her dog in her skirts, so they came out. 322 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 2: The one that it makes me think of is the 323 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 2: Rwandan genocide, for the government again had to be dispatched 324 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 2: because dogs and so many people were murdered that their 325 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 2: dogs just ran wild on the street. A lot of 326 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 2: them went ravid. This isn't a theory, but I think 327 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:53,679 Speaker 2: this feels self evident. But I think if you have 328 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 2: to dispatch the army to kill all the rabid dogs 329 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:01,400 Speaker 2: roaming your streets, your revolution had failed. You are going 330 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 2: to be remembered very poorly by his stitch. 331 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: True, So we need to fast forward just a little bit, 332 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: and Josephine is in prison. 333 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 2: Josephine's in prison. Josephine is at Las Comes. It's one 334 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,640 Speaker 2: of the most horrifying prisons in Paris. 335 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: But good news. 336 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 2: Her roommate in her cellmate, I guess in the prison 337 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 2: is Teresa Cabarets. She is the mistress to the revolutionary 338 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 2: John Tallienne. Now, Theresa is pretty angry that her boyfriend 339 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 2: Protector whatever, is in close coats with robes Bier and 340 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 2: yet she's imprisoned. So she sends Talian a dagger and 341 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 2: a letter demanding that he kill robes Ba and free 342 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,439 Speaker 2: her immediately. And if he doesn't do this, he's not 343 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 2: a man. And she feels personal shamed that she ever 344 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 2: slept with us, and Italian actually does this, which is 345 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 2: amazing to me. 346 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 1: He's like, okay, ropes here has to go for all 347 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: the reasons, but also for this, no very much, specifically 348 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: for this and only for this. So when Robesby is 349 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: giving a speech at the convention, Talian storms the stage, 350 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: waving the dagger Teresa's sent him and shouting down with 351 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: this dictator. His co conspirator, pauled de Barras joins him 352 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 1: and Robesby a flees. He tries to suit himself, but 353 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 1: he only succeeds in shattering his job before being dragged 354 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,400 Speaker 1: to the guillotine. Italian and Barrass emerged from this as heroes. 355 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: Barrass became the head of the new Directorate government. He's 356 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: also one of the only remaining super wealthy men in Paris, 357 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:37,640 Speaker 1: and Josephine emerged from prison at Teresa's behest. Teresa, who 358 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,160 Speaker 1: has become a hero to the Parisians, has not forgot 359 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 1: her friend. But Josephine emerges to find Paris and ruins. 360 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 1: Most of the homes have been lit a blaze. But 361 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: she's popular again. Yeah, and this is about when she'll 362 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 1: meet Napoleon at a part almost Yes, okay, we're coming 363 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: to that. The Baron de Frindley wrote at this time 364 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 1: that after the reign of her it was in height 365 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: of good manners to be ruined, to have been suspected, persecuted. 366 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 2: And above all imprisoned. People started wearing their hair crop 367 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 2: to immitate prison styles. 368 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: Victim for loved dem Yes, my French pronunciation is not 369 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: as good as your. It's ribbons around their necks and 370 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: not to the guillotine. Josephine's welcome at the extremely exclusive 371 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: Balde Victim where I believe that Balde Victim actually happened 372 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: all the time. Yes, absolutely, okay, Yeah. 373 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 2: There were basically like support groups for people who had 374 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 2: been imprisoned. There were special salons. 375 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 1: For people who had been in I've just been from 376 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:41,400 Speaker 1: a purely historical standpoint, It was whether whether the actual 377 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: like the main bald of victim was a actually happened 378 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: or was like a Romantic invention. I mean, I don't know, 379 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,639 Speaker 1: you need to really say. My guess and my speculation 380 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: is it's like a combination. Like I think people were 381 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: having these parties and then I think in the Romantic 382 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 1: era people were like build up their ideas. 383 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:06,639 Speaker 4: Oh nice, only yeah, the speaking of parties, Josephine was 384 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:09,640 Speaker 4: spending an astronomical amound. She was one of the only 385 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:11,680 Speaker 4: women in the city with a carriage at a time 386 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,959 Speaker 4: when bread was so scarce that wealthy people brought their 387 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 4: own food to every dinner party because you couldn't expect 388 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 4: other people to have food. Josephine was also deeply in debt. 389 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 4: She's being constantly perceived. 390 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: She's spending out her money on carriages. She's an insane expense. 391 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: She's in desperate need of he protector who will cover 392 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: her expensive Fortunately, she'd remained very close with Teresa, who's 393 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 1: universally beloved in Paris, and she's now married to Italian 394 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: and posting some truly extravagant orgies. So Josephine becomes one 395 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: of the Marviliuses of this period. She appears around town, 396 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:55,440 Speaker 1: cladd in only see through Greek style gowns and sandals. 397 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,360 Speaker 1: Some of the Marviliuses walked through the streets with their 398 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: breasts exposed. Most of them soaked their gowns in water 399 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: so they would clan to their bodies before going out. 400 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,640 Speaker 1: And around this time, Teresa introduces her to Paulton Barross. 401 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 1: Paul's now the president of the National Assembly. He's the 402 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: richest man in Paris. He's able to pay off the 403 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: many many. 404 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 2: People pursuing Josephine for money, and he asks only that 405 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:25,399 Speaker 2: she'll arrange orgies for him. She does in very extravagant style. Apparently, 406 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 2: at these orgies, women dip their breasts in champagne glasses. 407 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 2: They stripped naked and pretended to be jungle cats. They 408 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,199 Speaker 2: took off their dresses and wagered on who were the least. 409 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 2: Josephine sat on Deboras's lap the entire time so he 410 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:40,199 Speaker 2: could bondle and have sex with her. 411 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: Throughout. Everything's going great, She's enjoying life. 412 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 2: And it was around this time that a twenty two 413 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 2: year old Corsican general appears and it's Napoleon Bonaparte. He 414 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 2: is absolutely agg at the women in Paris. He writes 415 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 2: to her brother, here alone, they deserve to rule. All 416 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 2: the men are mad for them. They think of nothing 417 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,880 Speaker 2: but them. They live only for them. A woman needs 418 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 2: to live in Paris for six months to know what 419 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 2: her do is. He has big virgin energy, he has 420 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 2: big virtin He's very very much a virgin. Women also 421 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:19,160 Speaker 2: don't like him. He is a very brilliant military strategist. 422 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 2: He is very uncomfortable to talk to. His technique with 423 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 2: women was to stare at them for many, many minutes 424 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 2: on and did not say anything. Most women found this 425 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 2: very creepy. Sure, but Napoleon was one of Deborasa's proteges. 426 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 2: So he seats him next to Josephine at a seemingly 427 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 2: non orgy related dinner. 428 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 1: Sure, that's what they say. And whenever it tender, it's like, oh, 429 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: how do you meet, and it's like they met on tender, 430 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,439 Speaker 1: but it's like, oh we met dad friend party, and 431 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: so it's like it was a non orgy party. 432 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:53,640 Speaker 2: I think this one was a non ergy party because 433 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 2: I think Napoleon would have been very frightened. 434 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, but it's funny to imagine them trying to whitewash 435 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: how he met story. Yeah, and Josephine was nice to him. 436 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: He says that she's the first woman in Paris who 437 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,720 Speaker 1: has been nice to him a lot. She just talked 438 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:13,199 Speaker 1: to him about how she saw his military strategy, was 439 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 1: smart the entire time, and touched his arm. Oh, kid's 440 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: interesting that in the movie they make her seem like 441 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: an elusive creature of mystery, and it's not that she 442 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: was just a very pretty lady who was being nice 443 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:30,399 Speaker 1: to him at dinner, and Napoleon was in love. He 444 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 1: proposes very soon after, and Josephine, to everyone's surprise. I 445 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 1: think they were married six months after meeting yep. And 446 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: people kept wondering why she was marrying this man who 447 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: was commonly accepted to be a fool, especially because, by 448 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: Josephine's own admission, she. 449 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:53,199 Speaker 2: Had only lukewarm feelings towards him. For Us said that 450 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,119 Speaker 2: she was motivated entirely by money, and she would be 451 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 2: had her own lover if she could drink gold out 452 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 2: of his skull. But Bross was pretty mad about this, 453 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,880 Speaker 2: and Napoleon had so much less money than any other man. 454 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 2: She knew he made fifteen thousand francs a year, and 455 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 2: that's what she was spending on makeup at this point. 456 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 2: And I think, you know, a slightly more pragmatic explanation 457 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,959 Speaker 2: is that Josephine is thirty one by this point, Bros 458 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 2: is very unlikely to marry her. She probably is thinking 459 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:29,199 Speaker 2: about her future in a somewhat strategic way. If Napoleon 460 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 2: isn't successful now, he seems like he's on the verge 461 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 2: of becoming very successful. But I think the most charitable 462 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 2: explanation is just that he's a very awkward little foreigner 463 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 2: over awed by Paris, who everybody thinks is awkward and dumb. 464 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 2: And I think he probably reminded her of a younger 465 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 2: version of herself in a way that she felt very 466 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:55,760 Speaker 2: tenderly towards. I'll also say there's something very charming. I 467 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 2: think Napoleon is a very smart man. 468 00:26:58,119 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 1: I think we can say that I think he's a 469 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 1: bri militia early, you know. In turn ways, I think 470 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 1: that she probably found his intelligence attractive, But would I 471 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 1: also find very attractive is someone who like openly, really 472 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: likes you, boss, really look, but she wasn't gonna marry him. 473 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 1: I'm saying, like she was a guy who's like, I 474 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: love you, I want to marry you, and I'd be like, 475 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: all right, let's get on with it. 476 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 3: You know. 477 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 2: I think that's interesting. But certainly after their marriage, he 478 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 2: goes off to Italy. He writes her a constant stream 479 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 2: of letters. 480 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: This is if you are a noble blood listener, listen 481 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: to our episode on the Black Count Tom Alexander Duma, 482 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: and that'll be like a good companion to this, because 483 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: you're like, what was Napoleon off doing in Italy and Egypt? 484 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: That episode will be the context. And meanwhile he's over 485 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: there Josephine Josephine. 486 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 2: One of his letters says that if Josephine ever takes 487 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 2: a lover, he will enact Othello style revenge, murdering her 488 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 2: and her lover and himself. This is all of the letters. 489 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 2: This is how they all read. 490 00:27:57,640 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: He keeps writing things. I feel like I've read these 491 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,120 Speaker 1: letters and he's like, if you loved me, you'd write 492 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:02,719 Speaker 1: me twice a day. 493 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 2: Hey, good women would be I don't think constantly. I 494 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 2: find I don't care for Napoleon's letters. I know that 495 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:11,679 Speaker 2: I see I know that they go for millions and 496 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 2: millions of dollars at auction. But what bothers me the 497 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 2: most about them is that there is no teasing, there's 498 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 2: no warmth of familiarity, there's no friendship in those letters. 499 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 2: Napoleon was an aspiring romantic novelist. When he came to parent, 500 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 2: he was trying to write a romantic novel. And I 501 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 2: think in all of his letters, Josephine could be replaced 502 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 2: by a sexy automaton and the letters would read exactly. 503 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not very personal. 504 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 2: Well, I think if you've paid attention to someone's sandwich 505 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 2: preferences and send them a link to a sandwich shop, 506 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 2: you think they'd enjoy it would be more romantic than 507 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 2: anything Napoleon wrote. 508 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 1: Josephine seems like he's just very I mean, he's very 509 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: excited about being in love and desperate for I mean, 510 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: not to extend the metaphor of conquering, but like to 511 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: own and possess. That's this woman. Yes, I have a wife. 512 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 1: I love her, she loves me. I have her. That 513 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 1: is set. 514 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 3: Yes. 515 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 2: Yes, Josephine says that he does not love her, he 516 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 2: worships her. Yeah, And I think that does get at 517 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 2: some of the difference there. 518 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: Now Josephine, while he is away, has taken a lover 519 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: Ippoly Charles. Oh, yeah, he. 520 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 2: Was twenty three. He was very, very handsome. He fit 521 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 2: in very well with Josephine's Paris friends. Barros said he 522 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:29,240 Speaker 2: looked like a wigman cruise dummy. Ross is my favorite 523 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 2: person in this entire story, Nabole and meanwhile was in despair. 524 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: He writes. 525 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 2: Barasaid, if Josephine didn't join him in Italy, she was 526 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 2: going to kill himself. 527 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: And Josephine's like, no, thanks, I'm not this time. You're correct. Uh. 528 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 2: Barross needed Napoleon to win battles in Italy because France 529 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 2: needs to re establish itself as a country with some 530 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 2: kind of military power. So Barross tells Josephine that he 531 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,959 Speaker 2: is throwing a very elaborate dinner for her. He doesn't 532 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 2: she'd throw this dinner apparrellin It's very nice. And afterwards 533 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 2: he picks her up, bundles her into a carriage, and 534 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 2: tells her she has to go to Italy. Now. I 535 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 2: don't know how to explain their relationship at this point, 536 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 2: except they seem to be best friends who hate each other. 537 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 2: The compromise is that they agree that she can bring 538 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 2: it Charles along with her to Italy. So off Josephine 539 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 2: goes to Italy. She seems to somewhat enjoy her time 540 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 2: in Italy, but before long Napoleon has to head on 541 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 2: to Egypt, and he continues the sending letters to Josephine constantly. Meanwhile, 542 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 2: Josephine goes off to take the waters for her health. 543 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 2: She writes to Brass telling him that she hopes he 544 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:50,960 Speaker 2: gets really, really really sick so he can join her. 545 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 2: I love their relationship. And in Egypt, Napoleon is talking 546 00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 2: about his wife so constantly that his soldiers say that 547 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 2: virgies on idolatry. He is aimed to Camp, who was 548 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 2: having an affair with Josephine's maid, finally tells him that 549 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 2: Josephine is having an affair. Napoleon is devastated. He writes 550 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 2: his brother that he's going to get a divorce. The 551 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 2: ship carrying his letter is seized and it gets reprinted 552 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 2: and distributed in all the British papers. Oh that's oh, 553 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 2: British people are so excited, they're so happy. This is 554 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 2: a great day for them. Debt collectors assume that Josephine 555 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 2: will be divorced imminently, and they sit on her Deborahs 556 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 2: stops French papers from printing this article. He fights off 557 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:36,120 Speaker 2: all her debt collectors and he gets her the money 558 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 2: to buy a house called Malmaison, where he tells her 559 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 2: to wait this out, and locals report that they often 560 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 2: see her walking. Was a handsome young man who must 561 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 2: be her son. 562 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 1: Uh huh, it's itpoly, It's always her lover. Yeah, yeah uh. 563 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 2: Napoleon decided to even the score by having an affair 564 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 2: with a young soldier's wife named Pauline, who had accompanied 565 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 2: her husband to Egypt. He had no idea how to 566 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 2: initiate this affair because he was the least terming personal life, 567 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 2: so he just did his thing where he stared at 568 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 2: her for the entire hot air balloon launch they were attending. 569 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 1: Pauline said, and she's like, look at that hot air balloon, 570 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:12,320 Speaker 1: it's coming up that way. 571 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 2: Bauleen said that this made her intensely uncomfortable. Then Napoleon 572 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 2: sent an eight of his to describe that he wanted 573 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 2: to have sex with her. She said no and that 574 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 2: she was married, and this made her again very uncomfortable. 575 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 2: Then he sent her a diamond bracelet, and she relented immediately. 576 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, It's like okay, enough is enough? So I 577 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: so spassed. Forwarding a little bit, Why does Napoleon ultimately 578 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 1: forgive Josephine. 579 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 2: So Napoleon returns to Paris. Josephine has been waiting for him. 580 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 2: Unfortunately she's at another house. When he returns, Napoleon ands devastated, 581 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,880 Speaker 2: finally finds her at the house she's at. She's sobbing hysterically, 582 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 2: and she sends her two children to go bang on 583 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 2: his door, and she has coached them to say, our 584 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 2: father is already did whilst we lose our second thought. 585 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 2: So she has her two sobbing children doing this. Then 586 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 2: she goes in. She has sex with Napoleon. The next morning, 587 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 2: he announces he's not going to get a divorce. It's 588 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 2: going to be fine. But Napoleon does continue to have 589 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 2: affairs throughout the rest of its marriage. He never again 590 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 2: indulges in the kind of single minded worship of Josephine. 591 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: I'll have an illegitimate child. He will have an illegitimate 592 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 1: child later. Now, shortly after this, if we jump ahead 593 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 1: a little bed, Napoleon stages Acuda over from the thro 594 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: the dar spoiler alert, Napoleon becomes emperor, crowns himself, bowns. 595 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 2: Josephine, Bross gets excelled to Brussels. He continues to write 596 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:52,000 Speaker 2: Josephine constantly. Josephine never writes him back again. Nic What 597 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 2: did he ever do other than end the reign of 598 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 2: terror and try to have a democracy. Well, you can't 599 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 2: have orgies and bail Josephine out of every problem. 600 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: See for him. You can't be one of the main 601 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: guys when there's a new emperor. You got it, you know, 602 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 1: all right, dark lens one, the one truly lovely man 603 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: in this story. So Josephine and Napoleon moving to the 604 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:16,000 Speaker 1: decrepit to Luis's palace. On the gates of that palace 605 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 1: hung a sign from the revolution that read, on the 606 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: tenth of August seventeen ninety two, royalty was abolished in 607 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 1: France and will never return. The first thing Napoleon did 608 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:30,319 Speaker 1: was scrub away all revolutionary side. He said he did 609 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 1: not like to see that shit around, and he began 610 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 1: referring to Louis the sixteenth as the good Louis the sixteenth. Well, 611 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: I do think, I mean not to step on this 612 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 1: and to agree. I think that part of Napoleon's that 613 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: claim to power was re establishing the old, the bad Revolution, 614 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: the good power of France. And I mean, if you 615 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: think back, if you as a listener are sort of 616 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 1: imagining the imagery and architecture and fashion and furnish furnishings 617 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: that we associate with Napoleon, and it's very gilded, it's 618 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 1: very regal. It's like red velvet and it als. 619 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 2: At one point Josephine had a dress that was covered 620 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:09,200 Speaker 2: entirely with real rose petals. 621 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 1: I she had a dress that was made entirely of 622 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 1: peacock feathers. 623 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 2: Josephine also bought nine hundred dresses a year, five times 624 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 2: more than Marie Antoinette ever bought. 625 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,279 Speaker 1: I read a thing that she never wore the same 626 00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 1: pair of stockings twice. Well, that's smart, I mean, they 627 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:31,239 Speaker 1: really that makes sense. But also in her defense, I 628 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 1: think Napoleon maybe she went a little far, but I 629 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: think he was very much advocating for like, we have 630 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: to play this part. We took power by force, so 631 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 1: we have to present power. 632 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:44,239 Speaker 2: They brought back people to talk about how everything used 633 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 2: to be done at the court so they could try 634 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 2: to mimic it. Now, Josephine was never comfortable was this. 635 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,760 Speaker 2: She was sleeping in Marie Antoinette's chambers and she claimed 636 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,000 Speaker 2: that she could hear the Queen's ghost asking her what 637 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 2: she was doing in her bed. 638 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 1: So creepy. 639 00:35:57,640 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 3: I love it. 640 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 1: Also, around this time, Napoleon declared that French women needed 641 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: to learn obedience, so he rolled back women's rights enormously. 642 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 1: Husbands could now imprison their wise for infidelity. Also, and 643 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: unrelated to the sexism aspect of this, I just want 644 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 1: to remind people that Napoleon and France is the only 645 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:18,759 Speaker 1: country in history to ever reinstates like great yep. 646 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:22,279 Speaker 2: People thought it was because of Josephine's influence, because she 647 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 2: grew up on a plantation and she sure was comfortable. 648 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:28,440 Speaker 1: I mean I also think it was partly because Napoleon. 649 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:30,239 Speaker 1: I mean, they just needed like them. I don't think 650 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:33,320 Speaker 1: he cared about the revolutionary ideals. I think he was 651 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 1: driven by like cold economic prospects, absolute lust for power, 652 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:40,719 Speaker 1: power and money. Yeah, so that's not good. Yeah. 653 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 2: Madame de Stelle, who adored Napoleon at the beginning of 654 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:48,200 Speaker 2: his reign, and wrote in letters saying that she should 655 00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:52,839 Speaker 2: be his mistress rather than this insignificant woman Josephine, which 656 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:57,120 Speaker 2: Napoleon was very uninterested and he despised intellectual women. 657 00:36:57,760 --> 00:36:59,560 Speaker 1: Really. Oh yes, yeah uh. 658 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,879 Speaker 2: Her move with men was to ask them who their 659 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 2: favorite woman in history was, so I have a lively 660 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 2: conversation with them. 661 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 1: My favorite Madame de Stele quote that I feel like 662 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,400 Speaker 1: I come back to a lot is and I'm paraphrasing, 663 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 1: but the one must in life choose between boredom and suffering. 664 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:19,840 Speaker 1: That's very depressed, I know. And as to adult what 665 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 1: am I called it? Contentment? Contentment is better than boredon. 666 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: But isn't that just like very insightful? 667 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 3: Yes? 668 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, she was a very insightful woman who when she 669 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,800 Speaker 1: asked Napoleon that had human reply, whichever woman bore the 670 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,799 Speaker 1: most children? Madame de still you shortly after this going 671 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:41,280 Speaker 1: up to flee the country. The censorship put that heads 672 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:45,160 Speaker 1: so horrified. But Pompadour is back in full force. The 673 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 1: Marquis de Sade is imprisoned shortly after the publishing of 674 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 1: juliet which we have an episode on you doing an 675 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:55,719 Speaker 1: episode on Juliette. No, you're doing Justine Angeliat. We've done 676 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,880 Speaker 1: the Marquis de Sade, so if you are a listener, 677 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,200 Speaker 1: you know all about the Marquis Decoud's imprisonment and his 678 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:06,319 Speaker 1: long suffering wife got his poor wife. You read much? 679 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: Merchi De said, not on purpose. I read some for 680 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 1: that episode and I was I literally, I think I 681 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: said in the episode. I was like, I'm not quoting 682 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:16,279 Speaker 1: any of this. I'm not recommending it. I don't find 683 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:18,480 Speaker 1: it pleasant. I think it's like a the equivalent of 684 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 1: like a shock comic. It's a shot comic. I actually 685 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:28,040 Speaker 1: loved Juliet as a proto feminist piece about who comes 686 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: out on top. But it's pornography. It's nothing I would 687 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,600 Speaker 1: recommend any any esteemed listeners of this show. 688 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 2: But this is basically the end of female intellectuals in France, 689 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 2: where Louis the fifteenth had consulted with Madame Pompadour all 690 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:49,560 Speaker 2: through the seven years, or what Napoleon liked was for 691 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:52,560 Speaker 2: Josephine to sit in front of him in total silence 692 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 2: while he thought about military matters. 693 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:56,760 Speaker 1: She was a gilded statue. 694 00:38:56,840 --> 00:39:01,480 Speaker 2: She was a beautiful statue for him, and at the coronation, 695 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 2: Napoleon obviously oh, the Catholic Church is back too. Oh yeah, 696 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 2: we've rolled back everything the Revolution tried to accomplish. So 697 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:13,800 Speaker 2: the Pope is there for Napoleon's coronation. But Napoleon crowns himself, 698 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:19,480 Speaker 2: we assume all listeners know, and he also crowns Josephine. 699 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,320 Speaker 2: And one of my small comforts of this is that 700 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:28,719 Speaker 2: there was one spectator the coronation that saw Josephine walking 701 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:31,239 Speaker 2: down the aisle in her finery and said, oh, look 702 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:37,160 Speaker 2: there's barasis whore. Oh sorry, I don't love Josephine that much. 703 00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 1: No, she's not interesting, but she's also not I think 704 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:42,920 Speaker 1: the important thing about history is you don't have to 705 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:45,759 Speaker 1: like everyone any feel the fierce loyalty to her, but 706 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,680 Speaker 1: I do to some female historical figures. I think she 707 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:52,320 Speaker 1: is an amazing survivor. Well, to fast forward again a 708 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:57,279 Speaker 1: little bit, Obviously, Josephine probably in part thanks to her 709 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:00,440 Speaker 1: age and also the toxic makeup she was wearing, and 710 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 1: also the fact that she had been using contracept contraceptive 711 00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:08,160 Speaker 1: douches for years and she had broken her pelvis. So 712 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 1: for all of these factors combine, and she can't bear children. 713 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:15,760 Speaker 1: She can't bear Napoleon in air, and so reluctantly they divorce. 714 00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:24,360 Speaker 2: They divorce. She Napoleon Mary's nineteen year old Marie Louise 715 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:28,920 Speaker 2: in eighteen ten. They're nice Catholic princess, a nice Catholic princess. 716 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:32,600 Speaker 2: The first meeting was arranged at the Chateau de Compienne, 717 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:36,160 Speaker 2: where Louis the sixteens met Marie Antoinette for the first time. 718 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 1: Like Marie Antoinette, Marie Louise had to because he really 719 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 1: just wants to be Louis the sixteenth at this point 720 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,280 Speaker 1: had to get rid of all of her French clothing 721 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 1: before Austrian Austrian clothing before crossing. 722 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:50,960 Speaker 2: Into France, and she had to get rid of her dog, 723 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,600 Speaker 2: just like Marie Antoinette. And she hated this and was 724 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:54,360 Speaker 2: mad about it. 725 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:57,160 Speaker 1: And as soon as Napoleon was exiled to Elbas, she 726 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:00,440 Speaker 1: never wrote him again. I went off Garla. She's like, 727 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:03,160 Speaker 1: this isn't my bargain. She did her job, she gave 728 00:41:03,239 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 1: him a son. 729 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:09,239 Speaker 2: Meanwhile, Josephine retires to Malmaison, her house. She is given 730 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:12,279 Speaker 2: an allowance of three million francs as well as four 731 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 2: thousand dollars to go exclusively to her garden. Now, Josephine 732 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 2: got really into plants at one point. It's one of 733 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:24,880 Speaker 2: her main accomplishments. She introdusing the concept of English gardens 734 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:30,080 Speaker 2: to Versailles and malnabels On became an incredibly beautiful home. 735 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:33,840 Speaker 2: Her granddaughter recalls wandering around eating sugarcane on a rounds, 736 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:39,719 Speaker 2: just like a nice grandmother. But Josephine was inconsolable. She 737 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:42,919 Speaker 2: said that sometimes it seems as though I am dead 738 00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:45,840 Speaker 2: and that all that is left is a faint sensation 739 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 2: of knowing that I no longer exists. 740 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:51,759 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, imagine feeling. I mean it's literally redundancy, 741 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:54,719 Speaker 1: but it's the moment. It's like if you get laid 742 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:56,360 Speaker 1: off and they're like it's not personal, but it's like 743 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:58,440 Speaker 1: it's the most personal thing of her. All I done and. 744 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 2: Eighties a crippling redundance, I think because she was not valued. 745 00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 2: And again we're coming back to Pompadoor. Pandadar also has 746 00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 2: to stop being the king's mistress, but her retirement was 747 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 2: getting to still retirement is instead of having sex nine 748 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,000 Speaker 2: times a day, I'm just gonna talk about politics and 749 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,560 Speaker 2: all of the enlightened mind writers are going to come 750 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 2: and read me their drafts and I'll. 751 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,399 Speaker 1: Give them advice. I mean, that's the horrible thing where 752 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 1: it's like, if you're a woman and your only value 753 00:42:26,719 --> 00:42:29,920 Speaker 1: is child bearing or being sexually attractive, then you go 754 00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:30,879 Speaker 1: to jobulate out. 755 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:33,800 Speaker 2: And Josephine was still seen as a treasure to some 756 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:36,000 Speaker 2: of the Allies. The Czar of Russia came to visit 757 00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 2: her at Malmaison frequently, and but she was never happy again. 758 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 2: Josephine's overriding emotions seems to be despair at this point 759 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:48,960 Speaker 2: in her life, and in eighteen fourteen, she caught a 760 00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:52,400 Speaker 2: cold and lapsed into a delirium. Supposedly she could be 761 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 2: heard muttering Napoleon Elba, King of Rome. Just before she died, 762 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 2: she insisted on being dressed in her pink sat morning 763 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:03,320 Speaker 2: gown and rubies in case anyone important came in to 764 00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:07,680 Speaker 2: visit Ah, and she likely died pneumonia, though her maid 765 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 2: said that she died of grief at the age of 766 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:11,319 Speaker 2: fifty one. 767 00:43:11,719 --> 00:43:14,200 Speaker 1: Fifty one very young. Yeah, I mean, it's sort of 768 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:16,799 Speaker 1: this tragic life. And I'm so glad you brought up 769 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:20,880 Speaker 1: Madame de Pompadour in comparison. Well, I think it is 770 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:24,719 Speaker 1: such an interesting commentary on the revolution that they did 771 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:27,600 Speaker 1: it and now everything is the same, but everything is worse. 772 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:31,480 Speaker 1: And I think that when people view Napoleon and Josephine 773 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 1: as this like great romance, like, I think it's it's 774 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:36,600 Speaker 1: a false image. I don't even think it works well 775 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:37,239 Speaker 1: in the movie. Now. 776 00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:39,759 Speaker 2: I think you can take so many creative liberties when 777 00:43:39,800 --> 00:43:42,879 Speaker 2: you're making a movie. But I also think I think 778 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:44,919 Speaker 2: a lot about the fact that these people didn't read. 779 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:47,920 Speaker 2: And I think one thing that does come out of 780 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:51,359 Speaker 2: reading a great deal, at least hopefully, is a kind 781 00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:55,320 Speaker 2: of healthy self awareness and a sense of humor above yourself. 782 00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:59,040 Speaker 1: And Josephina and Napoleon had absolutely no senses of humor. 783 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:09,560 Speaker 1: Very is here. Yeah, they were deeply serious people, I 784 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:12,320 Speaker 1: do think in terms of a noble Blood epilogue. The 785 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:15,000 Speaker 1: one weird detail about her life that I always find 786 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:18,200 Speaker 1: sort of morbidly fascinating is that when she felt her 787 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:21,200 Speaker 1: position with Napoleon slipping a little, she had her daughter 788 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:25,360 Speaker 1: Hortense marry Napoleon's brother Louis, who she hated. It's just 789 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:28,680 Speaker 1: everybody agreed. Louis was all, yeah, that's exactly why people 790 00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:32,040 Speaker 1: needed Napoleon to divorce Josephine because we're like, we can't 791 00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:34,400 Speaker 1: have the power going to his awful brother exactly. Nobody 792 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:38,759 Speaker 1: wanted Louis to be emperor, so like imagine Napoleon's stepdaughter 793 00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:41,640 Speaker 1: then becoming his sister in law. It's just wild. 794 00:44:41,719 --> 00:44:45,040 Speaker 2: I mean, there's a lot of inter family marriage at 795 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:48,439 Speaker 2: this point, just in some desperate attempt to preserve power, 796 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:50,480 Speaker 2: even with Josephine. Oh but. 797 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:52,799 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I. 798 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:57,759 Speaker 2: Feel the impressive Josephine was able to survive at all. 799 00:44:58,080 --> 00:45:02,120 Speaker 2: I think it's interesting that she was able to use 800 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:05,320 Speaker 2: her sexuality in that way, and that her sexuality was 801 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:07,880 Speaker 2: a thing that was very much created and not innate 802 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:11,799 Speaker 2: to her. She was not born incredibly beautiful the way 803 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:15,319 Speaker 2: we hear about some of the powerful women from this period. 804 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:16,279 Speaker 1: Were, and. 805 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:21,680 Speaker 2: That's you know, that's obviously something that is worthy of 806 00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:27,440 Speaker 2: respect and such a survival tool, and that's very very interesting. 807 00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:33,879 Speaker 2: I think because Napoleon hated intellectual women, it's a little 808 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:37,719 Speaker 2: unsatisfying to try to look at more of Josephine's accomplishments. 809 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:42,240 Speaker 2: But I could also be wrong. As Ridley Scott said, 810 00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:44,960 Speaker 2: were you there, then you don't fucking know. 811 00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:49,200 Speaker 1: I was not there. And I am sure there are 812 00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 1: scholars of Josephine who would uh set me. 813 00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:55,680 Speaker 2: Set me to rights, and tell me that she had 814 00:45:56,440 --> 00:46:01,279 Speaker 2: a fascinating and rich inner life. He just wasn't as 815 00:46:01,640 --> 00:46:05,520 Speaker 2: evident as it might have been with some other historical women. 816 00:46:05,680 --> 00:46:08,320 Speaker 2: And one theme that I've found always so fascinating in 817 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 2: Noble Blood is this stark juxtaposition, this like tragic juxtaposition 818 00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:18,719 Speaker 2: I've found between incredible glamour, like these people spending exorbitant 819 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:21,160 Speaker 2: amount of money, spent eight hundred dollars a year on 820 00:46:21,320 --> 00:46:23,720 Speaker 2: eight hundred francs a year on perfume when the average 821 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:26,360 Speaker 2: Parisian families income was six hundred francs. 822 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:30,640 Speaker 1: So this just like extraordinary glamour in concert with these 823 00:46:31,239 --> 00:46:34,800 Speaker 1: tragic mechanisms and feeling trapped. I just find it very interesting. 824 00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:38,000 Speaker 1: Is this reinforcing idea where it's like it's a cliche 825 00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:40,640 Speaker 1: that money doesn't buy you happiness and power doesn't buy 826 00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:43,560 Speaker 1: you happiness. But it's like I think we as audience 827 00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:49,480 Speaker 1: members and podcast listeners and writers are drawn to power 828 00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:52,280 Speaker 1: and money and glamour, and then all the more interesting 829 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:56,120 Speaker 1: when there's this like deeply tragic undercurrent to it. It 830 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:59,520 Speaker 1: is a deeply tragic under curid. Yeah, no, we see her. 831 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:00,799 Speaker 3: Look. 832 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:03,399 Speaker 2: I think, at least by the standards of the time, 833 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:07,439 Speaker 2: Josephine could count herself as someone who was deeply loved. Yeah, 834 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,719 Speaker 2: she obviously ended this a millionaire many many times over. 835 00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:13,000 Speaker 2: She had a very beautiful home, and she had two 836 00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:17,040 Speaker 2: children who seemed very devoted to her. This isn't a 837 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:21,560 Speaker 2: tragic story. It's just a story about the limitations that 838 00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:24,719 Speaker 2: were placed on women at that time, which to me 839 00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:27,760 Speaker 2: do feel especially tragic if you believe that the revolution 840 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:31,080 Speaker 2: was supposed to create some kind of a quality. 841 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:33,880 Speaker 1: I think that is a beautiful note to end on, Jennifer, 842 00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:35,200 Speaker 1: Where can the good people find you? 843 00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:35,640 Speaker 4: Oh? 844 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:40,200 Speaker 1: They should find me on threads because I don't so well, 845 00:47:40,280 --> 00:47:45,240 Speaker 1: No one should. Nobody should. It's Jen Ashley Wright on Threads, 846 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:50,239 Speaker 1: of course, pund oh as. My most recent book is 847 00:47:50,360 --> 00:47:55,759 Speaker 1: Madame Ristelle, a History of New York's most fabulous, fearless, 848 00:47:55,840 --> 00:48:00,959 Speaker 1: and infamous abortionists and you can let it perver book 849 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:19,400 Speaker 1: sourceld fantastic, Thank you so much, thank you. Noble Blood 850 00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:23,520 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeart Radio and Grim and Mild 851 00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:27,719 Speaker 1: from Aaron mank. Noble Blood is created and hosted by 852 00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:33,200 Speaker 1: me Dana Schwartz, with additional writing and researching by Hannah Johnston, 853 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:38,360 Speaker 1: Hannah Zwick, Mira Hayward, Courtney Sender, and Lori Goodman. The 854 00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:42,680 Speaker 1: show is edited and produced by Noemi Griffin and rima 855 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:48,640 Speaker 1: Il Kahali, with supervising producer Josh Thain and executive producers 856 00:48:48,760 --> 00:48:53,480 Speaker 1: Aaron Manke, Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts 857 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:59,120 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 858 00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:00,720 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.