"Napoleon" to retire after Waterloo

Frank Sansom; picture AFP

The decisive battle of Waterloo started 200 years ago tomorrow (18th June 1815) leading to the defeat of the emperor and exile to St Helena. It will also mark the retirement of Paris lawyer Frank Samson from his role as the best known Napoleon look-alike (sosie). In the various re-enactments of French military and civic events involving Napoleon, Frank is always at the thick of things. He recounts that other "generals" often come up and ask for his orders, but he stresses that he is only there as a personality, not as a military leader.
Frank takes his role seriously: uniforms; tents; how to mount his horse; how to speak Corsican; same eau de cologne; but he also admits that he is too tall and too heavy "to the despair of the empress" he smiles. But now he says that to be true to history he will abdicate after Waterloo (where he will be present in all his gear), but unlike his hero he will head for the south of France for his holidays, not to St Helena.
In the real world, Prince Charles will unveil a memorial to the fallen soldiers of British and allies at the site of the battle in Belgium.
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