Published in 2025
331 pages
11 hours and 14 minutes
The Last Empress of France, by Petie Kladstrup and Evelyne Resnick, brings this remarkable woman back to life and restores her to her proper place in history.
Petie, with her husband Don, is an international bestselling author. They’ve written three books about France, its wines and its turbulent history. In addition, Petie has written a memoir tracking a family legend, In the Presence of Forever. She’s also written a children’s story about Reine, the pet turtle of Empress Eugénie. Petie is a former newspaper journalist and winner of an Overseas Press Club award for international reporting. She also served as assistant to the US Ambassador to UNESCO.
Evelyne, born and educated in France, holds a Ph.D. in 19th century French history from the Sorbonne. She has authored six books in French and English on subjects as diverse as women’s organizations in Europe during the 19th century, a biography of Leonard Bernstein, success strategies for wine brands, and wine export. Although for several years she ran her own company specializing digital marketing, Evelyne savors opportunities to research in archives and libraries.
What is this book about?
The dramatic untold story of Eugénie de Montijo, the woman who created haute couture, fought for women’s rights, opened France’s schools to girls and ruled the country as its last empress, yet today remains almost unknown.
Although a nineteenth-century woman, her almost twenty-first-century outlook was key to the creation of modern France. Viewed frequently as a mere “ornament of the throne” of her husband, Emperor Napoléon III, this Spanish-born aristocrat proved to be almost as fiery as her red hair, fighting against institutional limitations, establishing innovations in childcare and women’s health, scientific research and education, battling anti-Semitism and “sex prejudice,” all the while displaying a political acumen so sharp that her husband gave her sole control of the government during his absences and consulted her daily when he was home. But the triumphs and glamour of her life were coupled with heartbreak and tragedy.
This first definitive American biography of Eugénie restores her far-reaching legacy to history.
