Exile to St. Helena and Death
Napoleonic EraThe Final Defeat and Abdication
After his stunning defeat at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, Napoleon's dream of European dominance finally crumbled. The combined forces of Britain and Prussia had decisively crushed his army, ending his famous 'Hundred Days' return from his first exile on Elba. Realizing his position was hopeless, Napoleon abdicated for the second time on June 22, 1815. Unlike his first abdication in 1814, when he was allowed to rule the small island of Elba, the Allied powers were determined that this time there would be no escape, no dramatic return. They needed a prison from which even the master of European warfare could never break free.
Journey to the Remote Island Prison
The British government chose St. Helena, a volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, as Napoleon's final place of exile. Located roughly 1,200 miles from the African coast and 4,000 miles from Europe, this tiny speck in the ocean was perfect for containing the former Emperor. On October 15, 1815, Napoleon arrived aboard the British ship HMS Northumberland after a two-month voyage. The island, just 47 square miles of rugged terrain, would become his world for the remaining six years of his life. He was assigned to live at Longwood House, a damp and poorly maintained residence that Napoleon found utterly inadequate for someone who had once ruled much of Europe from the magnificent palaces of Paris and Vienna.
Life in Exile: The Caged Eagle
Napoleon's daily life on St. Helena was a shadow of his former glory. Under the watchful eye of British Governor Sir Hudson Lowe, who arrived in 1816, Napoleon found himself under constant surveillance. The two men clashed frequently, with Napoleon viewing Lowe as a petty jailer and Lowe seeing Napoleon as a dangerous prisoner requiring strict control. The former Emperor spent his days dictating his memoirs to loyal companions like General Henri-Gatien Bertrand and Las Cases, creating his own version of history for posterity. He also tended a small garden, read voraciously from his portable library, and engaged in long conversations about military strategy, politics, and philosophy. Yet the isolation wore heavily on him – this man who had commanded armies of hundreds of thousands was now reduced to a household of just a few dozen people on a remote island.
Declining Health and Mysterious Illness
By 1817, Napoleon's health began to deteriorate noticeably. He complained frequently of stomach pain, nausea, and extreme fatigue. Some historians believe he suffered from stomach cancer, possibly the same disease that killed his father. Others have theorized about arsenic poisoning, either accidental from the wallpaper in his damp residence or deliberate from his enemies, though this theory remains controversial. His symptoms worsened dramatically in early 1821. The once-robust man who had endured countless military campaigns across Europe became bedridden and weak. British physician Dr. Archibald Arnott attended to him, but there was little that 19th-century medicine could do to help.
Death of an Emperor
On May 5, 1821, at 5:49 in the evening, Napoleon Bonaparte died at Longwood House at the age of 51. His last words, spoken in French, were reportedly 'France, armée, tête d'armée, Joséphine' (France, army, head of army, Joséphine) – a final tribute to his beloved country, his military life, and his first wife. The British authorities conducted an autopsy, which revealed a severely ulcerated stomach, supporting the cancer theory. Napoleon had requested to be buried along the Seine River in Paris 'among the French people I have loved so well,' but the British refused, fearing his grave might become a rallying point for French revolutionaries. Instead, he was buried on St. Helena in a simple grave marked only as 'Napoleon.' It would be 19 years before his remains were finally returned to France in 1840, where they now rest in the magnificent tomb at Les Invalides in Paris, visited by millions who come to pay respects to one of history's most extraordinary figures.
Key Dates to Remember
- June 18, 1815 — Battle of Waterloo - Napoleon's final military defeat
- June 22, 1815 — Napoleon's second and final abdication as Emperor
- October 15, 1815 — Napoleon arrives at St. Helena to begin his final exile
- April 1816 — Sir Hudson Lowe arrives as Governor, beginning stricter supervision
- May 5, 1821 — Napoleon dies at Longwood House on St. Helena at age 51
- December 15, 1840 — Napoleon's remains are returned to Paris and entombed at Les Invalides