Napoleon Engagement Ring Headed to Auction
There may be three things just about everybody knows about Napoleon.
- He was short.
- He liked to keep his right hand in his vest.
- His first wife was Josephine.
For those looking to own a piece of history you’ll be interested to know the engagement ring that Napoleon gave to his Josephine is going on the auction block . The auction will take place on March 24th in Paris.
The ring is pretty modest, as Nap wasn’t making too much money at the time. The gold ring is a pretty simple one, a diamond and sapphire ditty that some are calling “ordinary”. Perhaps he was a little short…on cash.
Simple or not, the ring is expected to fetch about $16,000 at auction.
The ring had its desired effect. The two married within a few days of Josephine’s acceptance of the bauble. Josephine was a bit older than Napoleon, was a widow and had two kids. Perhaps the kids were the reason that Napoleon took off just two days after the wedding to lead the French Army in Italy. The kids were probably disappointed that they couldn’t look up to their new dad.
The couple divorced after just 4 years when Josephine couldn’t deliver a child for Napoleon. Even though Napoleon went on to marry again, he apparently never lost his love for his first bride. Those near him while he lay on his death bed say his last words were “France. The army. The head of the army. Josephine.”
As far as Napoleon being short though, there are some who believe he was average or even slightly above average height for his time. As far as the hand in the vest deal, we’re not too sure. Maybe he was hiding that engagement ring from Josephine.
Raymond Z for Raymond Lee Jewelers, premiere fine jewelry and luxury watch boutique and buyer.