To most Brits he is the tyrant who had his butt royally (or should that be republicly?!?) kicked at the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Waterloo and the man who gave his name to a perceived complex in short men. To the French, however, he is hailed as a fearless military and political visionary.
So to celebrate Napoleon Bonaparte almost 200 years after his death, French politician Yves Jego wants to honour the contentious historical figure by building not a grand museum, but rather, a theme park.
In an effort to rival Paris’s equally divisive Disneyland, Jego sees Napoleonland – as everyone is calling it obviously – as being a fun day out for all the family. All of Napoleon’s military battles – failures as well as successes – will feature by way of water shows (Trafalgar), enactments (Waterloo, Austerlitz) and even a ski run through a battlefield.
If the necessary £180 million funding is found, the park should be open for business in 2017.
Just think, in 200 years’ time, the UK will probably erect something similarly gaudy in tribute to David Beckham.
(Image: Rex Features)