Betsy and Napoleon

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BBC Radio 4 Extra

Betsy and Napoleon: Episode 2

Episode 2

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Betsy and Napoleon, Episode 2

1815, St Helena: Napoleon moves into the Balcombe family's Pavilion.

1815, St Helena: moving into the Balcombe family's Pavilion can Napoleon contend with Betsy’s frankness? Stars Alex Jennings.

1815, St Helena:  Napoleon moves into the Balcombe family's Pavilion. 

Surrounded by sycophants, he finds the young English girl's frankness amusing. 

Then Betsy goes too far and has to be punished.

Betsy Balcombe was 13 when Napoleon Bonaparte came to live in her garden on St Helena. The two forged an extraordinary relationship.

As the only French-speaker, she takes the role of intermediary between the Emperor and the islanders. 

Drawn from contemporary accounts, Julia Blackburn's drama recreates the meeting of innocence and a great burden of experience.

Napoleon ... Alex Jennings
Betsy ... Michelle Tate
Balcombe ... Ian McNeice
Las Cases ... Rupert Wickham

Director: Mary Ward Lowery

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2005.

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Drama: Historical

The story of the relationship between Napoleon and Betsy Balcombe

The story of the relationship between Napoleon and Betsy Balcombe, the daughter of his jailer, on St Helena.

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