On December 24,1800, spies from England working undercover with the goal to restore Louis XVIII to the throne dressed as pedlars prepared for an assassination.
Josephine and her daughter, Hortense, dressed in their evening gowns, were ready to attend Haydn’s Creation at the opera house, however Napoleon was too tired to attend.
Encouraging them to go without him, Josephine preferred to stay with him, which encouraged him to join her for her anticipated entertainment.
After Napoleon’s carriage left first, the ladies followed in their carriage about three minutes later, due to some extra fashioning with a stylish shawl.
With Josephine and Hortense was Caroline, Napoleon’s sister, and an aide of Napoleon’s.
Upon Napoleon’s arrival, as he slept in the carriage that was quickly driven, an explosion at the hands of the pedlars violently blew, nearly removing the grenadiers escorting the carriage, from their saddles.
Although there was no injury to Napoleon, if Josephine’s carriage had been on time, her coach would likely have blown to pieces.
Since they were delayed, only the windows were smashed.
Nevertheless, the horses bolted, Josephine fainted, Hortense received a cut hand, Caroline, nine months pregnant, was severely shaken, and the baby she was carrying was to be born an epileptic. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p 239
Most affected was the street of houses, where nine people died and twenty-six were injured.
Two of the spies were caught, judged, and sentenced to death, while the other escaped to America.
Then more plots were uncovered.
Even though Napoleon had been declared Consul for life, which was approved by 3.5 million votes against 8000, everyone started to consider the future.
If anything ever happened to Napoleon, who would be next in line?
Would the Republic collapse?
Would the Bourbons return? A military dictatorship? Or more of the guillotine?
After much talk to make Napoleon an emperor, Napoleon consulted the public, then his generals, then his lawyers all approved.
France’s rich history of empire, which was natural throughout Europe, sounded good to all of France, except perhaps Josephine who warned people will see it as prideful.
Napoleon insisted, that if he accept the role of monarch, he’d do so not by divine right but by will of the people. The people expressed their will even more unanimously than when approving the Consulate. To the proposal that ‘the imperial title should be hereditary’ more than three and a half million Frenchmen voted for, less than 3000 against. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p246
A final statement from Napoleon at the coronation ceremony where he crowned himself emphasized the separation of church and state.
The coronation succeeded in its main purpose: there were to be no more attempts on Napoleon’s life….the Republic survived. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p253
