The phrase "I will be home in three days, don't wash" is a famous anecdote attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, supposedly sent to his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais during the Italian campaign after the Battle of Marengo.
However, historians and experts have concluded that this letter is almost certainly a fabrication.
Philip Dwyer, a professor and Napoleon biographer, stated he has never encountered this letter in Napoleon's extensive correspondence with Joséphine, despite the intimate nature of their letters.
Similarly, Peter Hicks from the Fondation Napoléon and Alexander Mikaberidze, author of The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History, both assert the story is false and likely invented by someone hostile to Napoleon.
Mikaberidze also noted that Napoleon had a keen sense of smell and detested unpleasant odors, even turning away women in Spain and Egypt due to their body odor, which contradicts the idea of him preferring unwashed partners.
The earliest known reference to the letter appears in a 1981 French book, and the story gained traction through repeated retelling without verification.
While the anecdote persists in popular culture and was referenced in the 2023 film Napoleon, its historical accuracy is unsupported by primary sources.
However, historians and experts have concluded that this letter is almost certainly a fabrication.
Philip Dwyer, a professor and Napoleon biographer, stated he has never encountered this letter in Napoleon's extensive correspondence with Joséphine, despite the intimate nature of their letters.
Similarly, Peter Hicks from the Fondation Napoléon and Alexander Mikaberidze, author of The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History, both assert the story is false and likely invented by someone hostile to Napoleon.
Mikaberidze also noted that Napoleon had a keen sense of smell and detested unpleasant odors, even turning away women in Spain and Egypt due to their body odor, which contradicts the idea of him preferring unwashed partners.
The earliest known reference to the letter appears in a 1981 French book, and the story gained traction through repeated retelling without verification.
While the anecdote persists in popular culture and was referenced in the 2023 film Napoleon, its historical accuracy is unsupported by primary sources.
