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Fortuné: the pug who bit Napoleon on his wedding night

See Fortuné's real story – guest starring your dog.

If you have ever wondered whether a dog could get between a general and his bride, meet Fortuné. Fortuné was a pug owned by Joséphine, and he bit Napoleon Bonaparte on the night of their wedding in 1796, leaving a scar. Before that, he had already carried secret letters for Joséphine while she was imprisoned during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. His story shows how much one small dog could matter to the people around him, long before he became a footnote in Napoleon's life.

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The story in 6 parts

A short version first. The full story, with every detail, is further down.

Part 1

Who was Fortuné

Fortuné was a pug given to Joséphine as a puppy by her close friend Thérésa Cabarrus.

Part 2

A prison messenger during the Reign of Terror

On 21 April 1794, Joséphine was arrested and imprisoned at Les Carmes, a former convent used as a prison during the Reign of Terror.

Part 3

The wedding night

On 9 March 1796, Joséphine married Napoleon Bonaparte in a civil ceremony in Paris.

Part 4

Life in Italy and a rival named Fortuné

Napoleon's letters to Joséphine from the Italian campaign were full of passion, but also frustration that she loved other things more than she loved him.

Part 5

Fortuné's death and a second dog of the same name

While in Italy, Fortuné picked a fight with a larger dog belonging to Napoleon's cook, and the fight killed him.

Part 6

What happened next

While Napoleon was away in Egypt, the second Fortuné became tied up in a scandal.

Read the full story

Part 1

Who was Fortuné

Fortuné was a pug given to Joséphine as a puppy by her close friend Thérésa Cabarrus. He had a fawn or russet-coloured body, a black muzzle, and a curly tail. Sources describe him as not the best example of his breed, in temperament as well as appearance, and say he grew more bad-tempered as he aged. None of that stopped Joséphine from coming to prize him above her other pets.

Part 2

A prison messenger during the Reign of Terror

On 21 April 1794, Joséphine was arrested and imprisoned at Les Carmes, a former convent used as a prison during the Reign of Terror. The prison was described as dank and infested with vermin, with prisoners sometimes packed eighteen to a cell. When her children Eugène and Hortense visited her there, conversation was limited to talking through iron bars in front of a guard. Fortuné, though, was small enough to slip through the bars and into Joséphine's cell. Hidden under his collar were letters from her children and friends, which Joséphine would remove and replace with letters of her own. You can imagine how much that small exchange meant to someone with no other way to reach the outside world. Joséphine was released after three months, but her husband Alexandre de Beauharnais was guillotined on 23 July 1794, one of the final executions of the Terror.

Part 3

The wedding night

On 9 March 1796, Joséphine married Napoleon Bonaparte in a civil ceremony in Paris. By that time, Fortuné had slept in Joséphine's bed for as long as she had owned him, and she was not willing to change that arrangement for a new husband. When Napoleon tried to get into bed, Fortuné bit him, drawing blood and leaving a scar that Napoleon said he could still show as proof. Napoleon later described the scene to his friend, the playwright Antoine-Vincent Arnault, pointing to the pug and calling him his rival for Joséphine's bed. He said he had been told he must either sleep elsewhere or share the bed, and that he gave way, though the pug was less accommodating. Two days after the wedding, Napoleon left Paris to join the army in Italy, which put some distance between him and Fortuné.

Part 4

Life in Italy and a rival named Fortuné

Napoleon's letters to Joséphine from the Italian campaign were full of passion, but also frustration that she loved other things more than she loved him. In one letter he listed the things she seemed to love more than her husband, including Fortuné himself, whom he said she loved much more than she esteemed him. When Joséphine finally traveled to join Napoleon in Italy, months after the wedding, Fortuné came with her in the convoy. According to one account from 1842, the officers at headquarters petted and made much of the little dog, so that he became something of a personage among the staff. According to that account, the officers at headquarters treated him as an important personage.

Part 5

Fortuné's death and a second dog of the same name

While in Italy, Fortuné picked a fight with a larger dog belonging to Napoleon's cook, and the fight killed him. Joséphine was devastated by the loss. She was soon given a new puppy by Hippolyte Charles, a lieutenant of the household guard who was also her lover, and she named the new dog Fortuné as well. When Napoleon later met the cook in a courtyard and the man apologized for his dog's action, Napoleon reportedly told him to let the dog out again, since perhaps he could get rid of the new pug too.

Part 6

What happened next

While Napoleon was away in Egypt, the second Fortuné became tied up in a scandal. While Napoleon was away in Egypt, a letter reached him in Cairo revealing that his wife had a lover, and that the lover had given her a dog. Napoleon wrote to his brother instructing him to begin divorce proceedings, but that letter was intercepted by the British Navy and published in newspapers across Europe.

Things you might not know

  • He had a fawn or russet-coloured body, a black muzzle, and a curly tail.
  • Fortuné, though, was small enough to slip through the bars and into Joséphine's cell.
  • When Napoleon tried to get into bed, Fortuné bit him, drawing blood and leaving a scar that Napoleon said he could still show as proof.

Year by year

  1. 21 April 1794Joséphine was arrested and imprisoned at Les Carmes, a former convent used as a prison during the Reign of Terror.
  2. 23 July 1794Her husband Alexandre de Beauharnais was guillotined.
  3. 9 March 1796Joséphine married Napoleon Bonaparte in a civil ceremony in Paris.
  4. 1796He bit Napoleon Bonaparte on the night of their wedding in 1796, leaving a scar.

Questions people ask

Did Fortuné really bite Napoleon on his wedding night?

Yes, sources describe Fortuné biting Napoleon when he tried to get into bed with Joséphine on their wedding night in 1796, leaving a scar.

What breed of dog was Fortuné?

Fortuné was a pug, described as having a fawn or russet-coloured body, a black muzzle, and a curly tail.

How did Fortuné help Joséphine during the Reign of Terror?

When Joséphine was imprisoned at Les Carmes, Fortuné could slip through the prison bars to visit her, and he carried hidden letters under his collar between her and her family and friends.

How did Fortuné die?

Fortuné died after picking a fight with a larger dog belonging to Napoleon's cook while Joséphine was in Italy.

Did Joséphine get another dog after Fortuné died?

Yes, she was given a new puppy by Hippolyte Charles, a lieutenant she was involved with, and she named that dog Fortuné as well.

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Sources

  1. The Dogs of Napoleon Bonaparte. Psychology Today.
  2. The Royal Kennel Club Timeline 1800s | Campaigns | Royal Kennel Club. www.royalkennelclub.com.
  3. Fortune: The Pug Who Bit Napoleon | Dogs in History. Dogs in History.
  4. Napoleon, Josephine and their pug, Fortuné — The Other Napoleon. The Other Napoleon.
  5. The Canine Ups and Downs of Napoleon Bonaparte. National Purebred Dog Day®, Nov 1, 2017.
  6. Manic Love: Napoleon and Joséphine’s Wedding Ceremony & Turbulent Relationship in 18th Century France. The Gilded Storyvine, Dec 15, 2024.
  7. Queens of Infamy: Josephine Bonaparte, from Malmaison to More-Than-Monarch - Longreads. Longreads, Apr 4, 2019.
  8. The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales of the 18th and 19th Centuries - Matthews, Mimi: 9781526705006 - AbeBooks. www.abebooks.com.
  9. The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales of the 18th and …. Goodreads.
  10. Napoléon in Paris – 15 Key Places to Visit (with Map!) | World In Paris. World In Paris, Apr 15, 2020.
  11. Royal Kennel Club - Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org.

Written by TimeWalkies EditorialLast updated How we research