Mémoires du duc de Rovigo, pour servir à l'histoire de l'empereur Napoléon, Tome 7

A vivid first‑hand chronicle captures the frantic days when Paris teetered on the brink of collapse. The duke recounts how the Empress, burdened by the emperor’s orders, slipped away from the city under a restless crowd’s watchful eyes, while the young king of Rome clung to the Tuileries, refusing to be taken from his “home.” The scene brims with tension, from frantic guards to whispered counsel, revealing how every decision was weighed against the specter of civil strife.

Beyond the departure, the memoir delves into the power vacuum that thrust Prince Joseph into the spotlight. He wrestles with competing loyalties, confronting early conspiracies that aim to dismantle the empire or restore the Bourbons. Through deft observations and candid remarks, the duke paints a portrait of a court caught between loyalty, survival, and the looming threat of internal war—offering listeners a compelling glimpse into a pivotal, often overlooked chapter of Napoleonic history.