NA414
King & Country
Over the years K&C has produced more than a few figures of Napoleon Bonaparte however this is the first time he has been designed and made a special 2-figure set that includes one of the great loves of his life, Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814).
Her marriage to Napoleon was her second, her first husband being guillotined during the ‘Reign of Terror’ that followed the revolution of 1789. Already the mother of two children before she met Napoleon in 1795 she was six years older than him. Smitten by her charms and beauty they married just one year later.
Their married life afterwards was far from perfect with both indulging in extramarital affairs. Eventually, Napoleon chose to divorce Josephine because of her inability to provide an heir. Both however retained a great fondness for each other that survived their divorce in 1810 and lasted until their deaths. Josephine in 1814 and Napoleon himself in 1821.
Here we see Napoleon himself dressed in the uniform of a Colonel of Chasseurs of the Imperial Guard. It was the Chasseurs of the Guard who usually provided the personal escort to the Emperor and he often wore the regiment’s uniform in recognition of their loyal service.
Josephine meanwhile is gracefully attired in a pale blue and delicately embroidered ‘classical-styled’ dress complete with a wine velvet ‘manteau’ edged with ermine and decorated with gold, hand-sewn motifs.