Emperor of the French, General Napoleon Bonaparte
- Chris
- Dec 13, 2025
- 2 min read
After the Battle of Waterloo, General Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the remote island of St Helena in October 1815. This was a mere 17 months after Napoleon's exile to Elba. Elba is an island off the coast of Italy, and it wasn't far enough away from continental Europe to contain Napoleon. Thus, to get it right this time, the British government sent Napoleon to St Helena which is 1,010 nautical miles off the coast of Africa. Napoleon was accompanied by an entourage of between 20 and 30 people when he was exiled to St. Helena. This number included a mix of loyal companions, their families, and personal servants.
Napoleon and his entourage stayed at Briars Pavilion for the first few months upon arrival on St. Helena. Briars Pavilion was closed that day, but we were able to go to Longwood House.
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte died in May 1821 and was entombed on St Helena. In 1840, the British government gave Louis Philippe I permission to return Napoleon's remains to France. Napoleon's body was exhumed and returned to France.
Fun fact: Napoleon's penis was allegedly removed during the autopsy and sold and exhibited. Napoleon's heart and intestines were removed and sealed inside his coffin.
After Briars Pavilion, Napoleon and his entourage moved to Longwood House, a 40-room wooden bungalow.
This is Jonathan the Tortoise. He's estimated to be 193 years old. Jonathan holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest living land animal ever recorded. He even has his own Wikipedia page.
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