This story is part of a long tradition of absurdism in journalism, and builds on a western reliquary culture. In this world, the one true cross must be huge and John the Baptist rivals Cerberus on the head count front. I wouldn’t give much credence to it as part of some dastardly British propaganda plot though. Any more than they might seriously suppose Elvis was in the fast food business or that TFL was having it’s surplus buses being disposed of by NASA.
This always was the most ridiculous of the myths surrounding Napoleon - even conceptually it doesn't make sense. To have demasculated one of France's national heroes would have created the mother of all diplomatic incidents. Word would have got out, it would have hit the newspapers, there would have been a big stink about it. I've always thought it only cottoned on because it fits what the old British propaganda would like us to think about him.
Yes, if you read an account of how his body was treated, there was little chance anyone could have secretly removed his penis.
This always was the most ridiculous of the myths surrounding Napoleon - even conceptually it doesn't make sense. To have demasculated one of France's national heroes would have created the mother of all diplomatic incidents. Word would have got out, it would have hit the newspapers, there would have been a big stink about it. I've always thought it only cottoned on because it fits what the old British propaganda would like us to think about him.