A Royal Divorce (1923)

The story opens with the meeting of Napoleon, a young artillery office, with Josephine D'Beauharnais, a Parisian beauty. With their marriage begins Napoleon's arduous military career, in the hardships of which Josephine shares. The outcome of these efforts and privations is the Imperial Throne, with Napoleon as Emperor, and Josephine as consort. Their happiness is marred, however, by the fact that no son has been born to them, and thus the Emperor's dreams of a mighty dynasty cannot be fulfilled. Josephine sacrifices her position as Wife and Queen that Napoleon's desire may be fulfilled, and the haughty Arch-Duchess-Marie Louise, of Austria, reigns in her stead. To the successor of Josephine is born a boy. With his birth, Napoleon's career commences its descent. The retreat from Moscow is followed by an insurrection in Paris, where the crowd attacks the Royal Palace. Marie Louise, terror-stricken, seeks refuge in her boudoir, and only the arrival of Josephine quells the mob's anger and saves Napoleon's son. As a result of his failures, Napoleon abdicates, and his wife and son flee to the protection of her father in Austria. Exiled to Elba, Napoleon's dreams appear to be shattered, but later he is recalled, and for one hundred days is Emperor of France again. This brief kingship closes with Waterloo, and is followed by his second exile to St. Helena, where he died.