This is a look into the personality of Albine de Montholon, a woman rumored to have born Napoleon a child on St. Helena.
We’ve also have been exploring if Hortense had been seduced by an agent - her big crush Charles de Flahaut, the rumored illegitimate son of Talleyrand.
In Albine’s memoirs, she runs into de Flauhaut at Malmaison [Hortense’s home where she was taking care of Napoleon while he was planning to leave France]. The supposedly loyal to Napoleon, de Flauhaut tried to talk Albine out of following the Emperor. Not long after this, Flauhaut would be leaving Hortense on his way to greener pastures in the United Kingdom.
Albine writes:
- of silver, of silverware, and then only the 6 million which were in the hands of M. de la Bouillerie was already available. They were given to Mr. Laffitte. Only one silverware service was taken, the one on hand.
Finally, one never descended from such a high position with a more perfect and more noble self-disregard. 200 million, due to the economy of the Emperor, had been left in the caves of the Tuileries, but had been used, the year before, to pay the allies.
While waiting for the departure and whatever the anxiety of Queen Hortense, the drawing room was full of visitors, undoubtedly inopportune, but which proved dedication, the last tribute of loyalty.
In the evening, in the midst of a circle of women, General de Flahaut, aide-de-camp to the Emperor, said aloud that he did not understand why people were there. He only understood why people should leave. He added, with reason, that one could be attacked at night. This visit was only commendable as a thought.
Flahaut’s words had their effect, many people returned to Paris.
The next day, in the billiard room, the same general said to me: "Is it true that you are leaving?
On my affirmative answer: "You do not know, then," said he, "that if an English vessel wishes to seize the Emperor, you‘ll have to fight or jump."
”Well! I will jump”, I replied. My decision was made. When I left, he saw me in a carriage. "How," he said to me, "are you going!" It was the last friendly voice I heard, at this solemn moment of our departure from Malmaison!
Voici un aperçu de la personnalité d'Albine de Montholon, une femme qui aurait donné naissance à une fille à Napoléon à Sainte-Hélène. Nous avons également cherché à savoir si Hortense avait été séduite par un agent - son grand coup de cœur Charles de Flahaut, le fils illégitime de Talleyrand (?). Dans les mémoires, d'Albine, elle tombe sur de Flauhaut à Malmaison [maison d'Hortense où elle s'occupait de Napoléon alors qu'il envisageait de quitter la France]. Le soi-disant fidèle à Napoléon, de Flauhaut, a tenté de dissuader Albine de suivre l'empereur. Peu de temps après, Flahaut quitterait Hortense en route vers des pâturages plus verts au Royaume-Uni.
Albine écrit:
