The Emperor’s New Clothes

Napoleon, after six years in exile on Saint Helena, hatches a plan to escape. He intends to swap places with Eugene Lenormand, a lowly deckhand, to reach Paris and reclaim his throne. The plan hinges on Eugene publicly announcing the switch once they are safely ashore.

The ruse is jeopardized when the ship's itinerary changes and it docks in Belgium instead of France. With the route altered, Napoleon must press on by land rather than by sea. The delay raises the stakes and increases the risk of discovery.

Reaching the European mainland, Napoleon travels by land toward France, and he witnesses the transformed landscape, including the battlefield of Waterloo. He presses on toward Paris, hoping for a safe reunion with his capital. The journey tests his resolve and his disguise.

Sgt. Bommell, loyal to the Imperial Guard, provides Napoleon with the name of Lt. Truchaut in Paris who can be trusted. The plan now depends on finding a reliable contact in the capital. Napoleon steels himself for a risky re-entry into public life.

Napoleon arrives in Paris, only to learn that Lt. Truchaut has recently died. He passes himself off as an old comrade and takes shelter with Truchaut's widow, Nicole, called Pumpkin, while also meeting Dr. Lambert and the lodger Gerard. The façade is now fully in motion.

Back on Saint Helena, Eugene decides not to reveal the switch and instead enjoys the luxury of being believed to be Napoleon. He bullies those around him, dictates his own bawdy memoirs, and manipulates his British captors. The imposture continues to rely on his continued deception.

While living with Pumpkin, Napoleon uses his organizational gifts to revive her failing fruit business. His planning brings prosperity and earns Pumpkin's gratitude and growing affection. The arrangement deepens as their bond strengthens.

Lambert, jealous of Eugene's hold on Pumpkin, searches Napoleon's room and discovers a small cameo portrait of Napoleon's young son. He realizes that 'Eugene' is not the real Napoleon. The revelation turns the already fragile ruse more precarious.

On Saint Helena, Eugene suddenly dies of a stomach ailment, removing the last direct witness to the real Napoleon. The British garrison weighs whether to reveal the fraud or maintain the illusion to avoid catastrophe. The survival of the ruse now hinges on discretion and fear.

News of Napoleon's death is announced across France, prompting the real Napoleon to consider reclaiming the throne. Pumpkin is horrified by the news, grieves the loss of Eugene, and rejects the idea of Napoleon returning to power.

Without a loyalist network in Paris, Napoleon confronts Lambert, who declares that he will show him who he really is. Napoleon demands answers, and Lambert reveals the truth about Eugene's impersonation.

Lambert lures Napoleon to the grounds of a sanatorium where many men dress as Napoleons. Napoleon is expected to be rounded up, but he escapes by climbing the wall, taking a painful cut on his hand in the process.

Physically and emotionally exhausted, Napoleon returns to Pumpkin's house. She tends his wounds and whispers that he is her Napoleon, sealing their life together away from imperial ambitions.

Napoleon discards most mementos of his former life, preserving only his Imperial Guard uniform and leaving it at the local military post as a gift for Sgt. Bommell, with the message that Eugene Lenormand has moved on.

An after-note records that Napoleon lived the rest of his days in Paris and was buried beside Pumpkin. Eugene Lenormand’s body was returned to Paris and interred with high honors in Les Invalides. The two fates—emperor and imposter—are reconciled through memory.