No one better than the Duchess of Abrantès knew Napoleon so intimately, which allowed her to write ten volumes of Memoirs with an alert pen. Through his memories, we discover his testimony on the child who was the future Emperor, on the bubbly but clumsy young schoolboy from Brienne, on the officer on the rise, and on the sovereign. Becoming Madame Junot through her marriage, she describes the Court and those who frequented it but also the family atmosphere that reigned at Malmaison.
Laure Permon was born in Montpellier on November 6, 1784. Her father held the position of receiver of finances there. His mother, born Comnène, comes from an ancient family of Greek origin, settled in Corsica. Marie-Louise is a friend of Laetitia Bonaparte, which makes her daughter say that “she saw Napoleon as a small child, that she often carried him in her arms”. After marrying a certain Permon, she left Corsica for the continent. The couple had three children: Albert, Cécile, and Laure.
The humiliation
In 1786, the family moved to Paris in a house located on the banks of the Seine, a stone's throw from the Hôtel de la Monnaie. At the request of her friend Laetitia, Madame Permon receives her son Napoléon every weekend after leaving Brienne. Laure remembers that in the evening, “after having dined at our family table, he would sit in front of the fire, his arms crossed on his chest, his legs stretched out in front of the fireplace, he would say: “Signora Panoria, let’s talk about Corsica, Let’s talk about Signora Laetitia”. »
The little girl was five years old when the Revolution broke out. From her windows overlooking the Louvre, she sees the riots, the violence, the blood. The family, known for its attachment to the king, leaves Paris to hide in the provinces where their father is dying of grief.
In September 1795, the family returned to Paris. Promoted to general, Bonaparte often came to visit the widow Permon. “Its exterior appearance,” notes Laure, “has changed. Taking care of himself, he only travels in large crews. » But suddenly the beautiful friendship which links Bonaparte to Marie-Louise Permon is shattered. What happened? Laure explains that Bonaparte would have asked for his mother's hand. Stunned, her only response would have been to burst into irrepressible laughter. Annoyed, Bonaparte will never forgive him for the humiliation.
A republican general in love
After marrying Josephine, Napoleon was named Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Italy. As he flies from victory to victory, Laetitia and her children settle in Paris. Not a day goes by without the Permon and Bonaparte families seeing each other. Laure describes Caroline as being a delightful child, often reprimanded by her older sisters.
On September 21, 1800, General Junot pushed open the door to the salon held by Madame Permon. This proud Republican had the wrong day: he found himself in a meeting of emigrants who had just returned. The lady of the house tactfully does the honors of her living room and the embarrassment does not last. Appointed commander of Paris, the First Consul urged him to take a wife and advised him to choose a wealthy one. We talked to him about Laure Permon and that’s precisely what brought him there. The girl suits him. He makes his request. Junot is a good match but, honestly, Marie-Louise says to him: “My dear general, it is my duty to warn you that my daughter has no fortune, her dowry will be very low and then she is so young. » Laure is not yet sixteen. Junot must obtain the approval of the First Consul. He flies to the Tuileries and announces: “- General, I am going to get married. –And who are you marrying? – A person you knew as a child, who you love very much… – Who did you say? Miss Permon? It is not possible! Loulou…”
He points out that the family is penniless and that he will have a “terrible mother-in-law”. Junot pleads his case: he is in love. The First Consul accepts the union. As a wedding gift, he puts a nice sum of money in the basket.
The attention of the First Consul
Etiquette requires that the young woman be officially presented at the Court of the Tuileries. Laure has not seen Bonaparte since the quarrel he had with his mother; she is moved, trembling. She describes the delicate attentions of Eugène de Beauharnais, the benevolence of Joséphine, the beauty of Hortense, and the kind words of Bonaparte: “I hope that we will see each other often, Madame Junot. I intend to form a large family made up of my generals and their young wives. »
Invited to Malmaison, Laure describes a cheerful Napoleon, recounts his fits of laughter when he plays and cheats on the bars and his habit of singing his favorite tune in an off-key voice: “No, no, it’s impossible / To have a kinder child…” One morning, when dawn had barely broken, a presence roused her from her sleep. She opens one eye, and thinks she's dreaming: in front of her, the First Consul. “It’s me,” he said, “why this surprised look? » He opens his mail, and comments on certain letters. Then leaves as he comes. The next day, the same scene. Within these walls, secrets quickly leak out. Junot appears to be a jealous husband and she is afraid that her visits will be misinterpreted. On the third evening, Laure decides to lock her door. Five o'clock in the morning, his door is forced open. The First Consul stands in the doorway. He blurted out, angrily: “Are you afraid that you will be murdered? »
The next day is hunting day. The First Consul invites him to get into his car and says sternly: “Do you think you are very intelligent? » Faced with the silence of his passenger, he adds, bitterly: “I guessed the reason which provoked this action. You had a mistrust of me that you should not have. »
On January 8, 1802, Laure gave birth to her first child. The one his comrades call General “the Storm” for his courage cannot stand his wife’s cries. He runs to take refuge in the Tuileries. He seems so upset that Duroc immediately brings him into the office of the First Consul who comforts him until the good news reaches them: it's a girl. Joséphine will be the godmother, Napoleon the godfather.
On this occasion, Bonaparte gave the couple a private mansion located right next to the Champs-Élysées where the sumptuous invitations would follow one another.
The embassy in Portugal
On August 2, 1802, the proclamation of the Consulate for Life received the general approval of the French by referendum. Attached to republican principles, Junot shows some reluctance. “Approved by all of France, must I therefore only find censors among my dearest friends,” Bonaparte bitterly remarked. Unhappy at having displeased his idol, Junot falls ill. Worried, Bonaparte inquires with Laure who does not hide from him that her husband was hurt by his words. There will be reconciliation. But following the Treaty of Amiens, when Junot received the order to arrest all the English who were in the capital, he refused to apply an instruction that he considered inappropriate. This time, Junot was dismissed from his post and sent to Arras where his mission was to organize the elite grenadier regiment. Under his command, this will become one of the finest troops in the army
On May 18, 1804, the Senate proclaimed Napoleon Emperor. France exults, Junot returns to grace. The family, which has grown by a second daughter, returns to Paris. Laure describes the preparations and the excitement reigning in the capital. Finally, the inimitable charm of Joséphine at Notre Dame, the confusion of Napoleon in front of his wife who cannot hold back her tears, “It is,” says Laure, “between these two beings one of those fleeting minutes, unique in a lifetime…”
The couple barely has time to enjoy the Parisian parties before they have to leave. The Emperor plans to send Junot as ambassador to Portugal. During a private interview, Napoleon recommended that the new ambassador bring, in her relations with the women of the Portuguese nobility, “reserve and dignity”. Laure replies that she will do her best. “I know, I know, but you’re a joker, you like to tell. »And when Laure takes up her pen, she will not hold back from recounting her experiences, and anecdotes abound.
A year later, Junot was recalled to France. He accomplished his mission well. To reward him, Napoleon named him governor of Paris and hired “Madame la Gouverneuse” to give parties intended to dazzle not only the Parisians but also the foreigners who stayed there.
Mistresses and lover
The fourth coalition is crumbling. Prussia, an ally of England and Russia, issues an ultimatum. Napoleon goes to war again. Remaining in Paris, Junot is condemned to follow the feats of arms from afar. In Paris, two women worry about their future: what would happen if the Emperor died? Joséphine thinks that her son Eugène would be best placed to take over the succession while Caroline, who married Murat, is convinced that her husband would be the only one capable of taking the reins of France. Caroline is disproportionately ambitious. To achieve her goals, she puts Junot in her bed. Laure has known for a long time that she was deceived by her husband. Not without humor, she calls her mistresses “my relatives” but Caroline is a childhood friend and this upsets her.
The Peace of Tilsit signed by Napoleon summons Junot. Knowing about his affair with his sister, he shows himself angry. Junot is sent to Bordeaux where he must take command of the army of Gironde.
On November 24, 1807, Laure gave birth to a son. While at the head of 30,000 men, her husband marched on Portugal, on November 26 he captured the town of Abrantés, then entered Lisbon. He plays “the little king” and lives surrounded by his mistresses. Laure consoles herself in the arms of the Austrian ambassador to France, the future chancellor Metternich.
On August 1, the French armies were defeated by the English. A negotiation leads to the Cintra convention. Furious, Napoleon summons the woman who now bears the title of Duchess of Abrantès. With the wind-up, she defends her husband's honor. This will not be the first nor the last confrontation with the Emperor, which will earn Laure the nickname “little pest” and lively stories about these tête-à-têtes with the master of the world.
On November 1, Junot returned to Paris. His mood is dark. Learning about his wife's relationship with Metternich, he is seized by an attack of fury. The couple falters. Junot receives the order to leave for Spain. To silence the rumors circulating about her relationship, Laure accompanies her husband. She leaves behind her children, her family, and her friends.
Meeting with a young writer
On February 10, 1810, they left in the cold. Laure discovers a devastated landscape, littered with corpses. Pregnant with her fourth child, it was in the middle of the general jolt that she gave birth. After sixteen months of exile, she returned to Paris. The Court has changed a lot. Joséphine repudiated, she meets the Empress Marie-Louise. Disappointed, she declares her spiritless and physically devoid of grace. On the other hand, the Aiglon inspires him with very beautiful pages on the love that binds the Emperor to his son.
War against Russia is inevitable. Junot asks to serve actively. But the beginnings of the illness are felt when, in Valoutina, he contravenes orders. Junot is defeated by his command. As soon as the Emperor returned to Paris, Laure went to the Tuileries to, once again, plead her husband's cause. It's too late. In 1813, in a final bout of madness, Junot threw himself out of the window. He leaves behind a wife, four children, and colossal debts. Pursued by creditors, Laure took refuge in Versailles with her children. The Empire was defeated, and she is nostalgic for the years of her youth.
In 1829, the duchess met Balzac who wanted to know everything about his hero. She is forty years old, he is twenty-eight. After months of confidences where Napoleon remains the center of their conversation, they become lovers. The Duchess knows so many fascinating anecdotes about the Emperor and his Court that it pushes her to write her Memoirs. He will correct the first volume. For his part, Balzac dreams of becoming a writer. The Duchess believes in his talent, she will support him in his projects and open Parisian salons to him. She will never leave the pen again.
Despite her abundant work which found its audience, she died on June 7, 1838, in great destitution, surrounded by her children and loved ones. At her funeral, Victor Hugo spoke to praise the woman who remained forever a great lady as well as a precious witness to the Empire.
An incredible husband
Junot, from a bourgeois family, is a young man with a lively and somewhat whimsical character. After studying law, he joined the army. It was at the headquarters of Toulon that his destiny was decided. With crazy temerity, he was noticed by General Bonaparte, who said of him: “He went to the fire like he went to a ball. » From that day on, an unwavering friendship linked the two men. Junot feels such admiration, such attachment for his idol that at the slightest anger, he falls ill. In his wake, Junot enjoys glory. But deemed too messy and unreliable by Napoleon, he never obtained his marshal's baton. It is a wound of self-esteem from which the Duke of Abrantès will not recover. After twenty-two years of service and seventeen injuries, Junot feels himself wavering; he finds himself prey to terrible anger. He wrote to the Emperor: “I who am all yours, well this eternal war that we must wage for you, I don’t want it anymore! I want peace! » Several bouts of madness follow. And on July 29, 1813, Junot died, after having thrown himself out of the window.
Writing the Memoirs
In 1825, the Duchess of Abrantès met Balzac who suggested that she write her Memoirs. She presents him with a few chapters. Balzac immediately became enthusiastic. The pen is alert, the style elegant, sometimes biting. The first volume appeared in 1831. Success was immediate. It is a feminine vision that she gives of the great Napoleonic epic. She takes her reader behind the scenes of the story and has no equal when it comes to staging a situation, fueling a dialogue, or portraying a character. As she makes money, the creditors come back. In addition to the eighteen volumes of her Memoirs, she wrote several novels. Laure d’Abrantès works hard. One evening when Madame Ancelot comes to visit her, she finds her working in her bed, her face tired. “Let's talk for a while, it will do me good, then I will get back to my work. I need money…” she told him. The two friends will never see each other again. The Duchess died a few weeks later.
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