Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon
Charles Tristan, Marquis de Montholon (21 July 1783[1] – 21 August 1853[2]) was a French general during the Napoleonic Wars. He chose to go into exile on Saint Helena with the ex-emperor after Napoleon's second abdication.
Early life and career
Montholon was born in
War service
He served in several of the ensuing campaigns, participating in the
At the time of the first abdication of Napoleon at Fontainebleau (11 April 1814), Montholon was one of the few generals who advocated one more attempt to rally the French troops for the overthrow of the Allies.[2]
In exile with Napoleon
After the second abdication (22 June 1815), he and his wife,
Montholon and his wife accompanied the ex-Emperor to
Las Cases left the island in November 1816, and Gourgaud in January 1818; but Montholon, despite the departure of his wife, stayed on at Longwood to the end of the former Emperor's life (May 1821).[2]
Montholon had to spend many years in what is now
Those who believe that Napoleon was murdered by poisoning now regard Montholon as the most likely suspect. This accusation has been forcefully argued by Ben Weider and Sten Forshufvud, and accepted by Napoleon's recent biographer, Alan Schom.[3][4]
Doubts on military service
Montholon's military service ultimately enabled him to join Napoleon in the Emperor's final exile. However, closer scrutiny of his military service reveals several falsehoods.[5]
Montholon claimed he had won a sword of honour during the 1800s
In 1809, Montholon claimed to be wounded at the
Of Montholon's own writings, the only one of note is De l'Armée française (1834).[citation needed]
Family
Montholon married Albine Vassal on 2 July 1812, two months after she divorced her second husband, Daniel Roger.[6] Their son, Charles-François-Frédéric, was born in 1814. Montholon probably fathered her two other sons while she was married to Roger, as she gave each the names "Charles", "Tristan", and "de Montholon-Sémonville". Their daughter, Hélène, born on Saint Helena in 1816, may have been fathered by Napoleon.[citation needed]
He fathered another son, Charles Jean Tristan (1843–1899) [7] by his mistress, Catherine O'Hara. They married sometime after Albine's death in 1848.[8]
Charles Jean Tristan married Paolina Fe d'Ostiani and lived in the Palais Simoni Fè in Bienno, Italy. He disappeared after a fatal hunting accident, and his wife died in Brescia, Italy. Before leaving their palace, in 1935 they let the inferior floors to the Panteghini family ad vitam eternam. Their children donated it to the city of Bienno in 1988, and the palace is now the city library and a cultural centre.[9]
In popular culture
- Nigel Terry portrayed Montholon in the 2001 film The Emperor's New Clothes, which was based on the novel The Death of Napoleon, written by Simon Leys.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "MONTHOLON DE, Charles Tristan". Base Léonore. Archives Nationales. LH/1919/80. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rose 1911.
- ^ See Assassination at St. Helena Revisited
- ^ read the following article on this topic Why was Montholon nicknamed the Liar?[usurped]
- ^ ISBN 9780060929589.
- ^ "Albine Hélène de Vassal" geni.com Accessed 17 August 2014
- ^ "Charles-Jean-Tristan-de-Montholon-Semonville" geni.com Accessed 17 August 2014
- ^ "Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon-Sémonville" geni.com Accessed 17 August 2014
- ^ [1] Archived 2016-08-26 at the Wayback Machine
Sources
- Rose, John Holland (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). p. 786.
- See Recueil de pieces authentiques sur le captif de Ste Hélène: suivi de lettres de MM ... le General Montholon, etc. (Paris, 1821)
- Mémoires pour servir a l'histoire de France sous Napoléon (ed. Gourgaud and Montholon, Paris, 1823; Eng. ed., London, 1823; new ed., Paris, 1905)
- Récits de la captivité de l'Empereur Napoléon à Sainte-Hélène (2 vols., Paris, 1847)
- Marquise de Montholon's Souvenirs de Ste Hélène, 1815–16 (Paris, 1901).
External links
- History of the Captivity of Napoleon at St. Helena by Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon vol. I at archive.org
- History of the Captivity of Napoleon at St. Helena by Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon vol. II at archive.org
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Montholon, Charles Tristan, Marquis de". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 786. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the