An obituary of Napoleon from 1821 and a also report of the autopsy

Napoleon Bonaparte died at Longwood, Saint Helena, on 5 May 1821 – he was aged 51.

As you can imagine, the obituaries carried in the UK newspapers in 1821 were less than complimentary to the former emperor.

This first clipping shows the obituary that ‘The Cambridge Chronicle and Journal’ published on Friday 10 August 1821.

Below that is a short newspaper clipping from the time when the news started to filter back to the UK, and the third clipping is a rather morbid report of the autopsy that was carried out on Napoleon.

Cambridge Chronicle and Journal – Friday 10 August 1821

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000420/18210810/016/0004

Caledonian Mercury – Thursday 02 August 1821

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000045/18210802/012/0004

Exeter Flying Post – Thursday 12 July 1821

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000103/18210712/001/0001