On Easter, April 18, 1802, Napoleon was to attend Mass at The Hunchback of Notre-Dame in Paris. Josephine would be there as well, and deciding what to wear for such an occasion was a troublesome matter.
If she dressed too lavishly, it would damage Napoleon's reputation for simplicity. If she dressed too plainly, it would be unsuitable for such a solemn occasion.
Napoleon wanted the Church to hold Mass for the French soldiers who had died in the Great Patriotic War, while Caprara wanted the constitutionalist priests to confess. After a period of deadlock, the two sides finally compromised, and reconciliation began with the Easter sacrament. Georgiana had no intention of attending such a stomach-churning occasion. Since she was not going, she naturally did not need to think about what to wear, thereby "easing Josephine's worries."
Before the formal concordat was signed, the two sides had drafted at least ten versions. Renegotiating a treaty was hardly a big deal.
Lily had said that she had stopped believing in Santa Claus when she was in primary school.
A queen could not dissolve Parliament, but she could dismiss the Cabinet and replace the prime minister. The prime minister had the power to dissolve Parliament, provided he commanded the majority party.
Napoleon had dissolved Parliament through military coercion. For many educated people, returning to the embrace of Catholicism was unacceptable. But now Napoleon wanted laws related to the concordat passed, and for this matter the Conservative Senate, the Council of Five Hundred, the Senate of the Directory, and the Legislative Body all opposed him.
Replacing those who opposed him with those who supported him would make the vote much easier.
Although Brongniart knew how to flatter people, he also possessed professional knowledge and would be useful in the future. But once he became