From riches to rags: the lavish but sombre life and heart-rending end of the 1st son of the man who made the whole of Europe tremble and quake
He was the man who did the Eagle of France proud through his birth, the eldest son of the man who redrew the map of Europe but had his own image marred by the accusation of the lady he loved the most who claimed that his issue was too "watery" to bear children - something that no man deserves to hear from the woman he loves dearly but through the birth of his son, the father was cleared of the dishonour. Thus began the life of Compte Charles Léon, son of Napoléon Bonaparte through his concubine Eléonore Desnuelles de la Plaigne. Léon's mother thought that she had found favour with Napoléon and was well on her way to becoming the empress but while Napoléon was very glad that she had borne him a son and loved his son, at least till his 2nd son was born from his other Polish lover - Countess Marie Walewska, he (Napoléon) did not wish to meet Léon's mother again, he merely made arrangements for her to have a decent life and also entrusted Léon...