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Napoleon: hero or “Little Boney”? | Alice Loxton on the world of the Georgians

Napoleon: hero or “Little Boney”? | Alice Loxton on the world of the Georgians

In episode three of the World of the Georgians, Alice Loxton explores how British caricature turned Napoleon Bonaparte from feared enemy into a figure of ridicule

Published: February 2, 2026 at 9:03 AM

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For Georgians in Britain, Napoleon Bonaparte loomed large as both a military threat and a propaganda obsession. In this episode, Alice Loxton examines how satirical artists helped shape public perceptions of Britain’s greatest enemy during the Napoleonic Wars. From heroic self-fashioning in France to the British invention of “Little Boney”, caricature became a powerful weapon of war, shrinking Napoleon’s image and undermining his authority through humour.

Want more from Alice? Find more episodes of the World of the Georgians.

Alice Loxton is a historian, presenter and Sunday Times bestselling author with over three million followers on social media.