Little Yellow Emperor: the Life of Napoleon in LEGO

The Battle of Waterloo Domain hosted a LEGO exhibit called “THE LEGEND OF NAPOLEON IN LEGO BRICKS.” As a recovering LEGO addict and an eternal fan of 18th/19th-century French history, I simply had to go. After successfully bribing the husband with beer and fries and the children with waffles, we made the trip today.

The exhibition was smaller than I expected, but some of the builds were genuinely impressive. It traces Napoleon’s life from his birth in Corsica to his death on Saint Helena—a neat, bite-sized way to introduce his story, and a fun way of recreating history. However, one thing that did bug me a bit: while the audio guide is available in multiple languages, all the wall texts are in French. In a trilingual country, especially at such a touristy site, that feels like a bit of a miss (plus, it gave the Dutch-speaking husband an excuse to grumble).

Gripes aside 1, the exhibit was a lot of fun. Here are my favourite builds.

1. The Campaign in Egypt

LEGO recreation of Napoleon's Egyptian campaign seen from above, with a large brick-built Sphinx and hundreds of minifigures around the French camp.

LEGO Egyptian campaign diorama with white tents, palm trees and massed French troops below the brick-built pyramid.

LEGO Egyptian campaign diorama with mounted French officers and cavalry riding past the tents.

Close view of the LEGO Egyptian campaign build showing an open command tent furnished with table and chairs beside hieroglyph-carved stonework.

This recreation of Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign is absolutely brilliant. The photos don’t do it justice—every detail, from the Sphinx to the busy French camp, is spot on. It’s also huge and apparently took close to 70 hours to build!

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2. Napoleon’s Coronation as Emperor

LEGO recreation of Napoleon's coronation at Notre-Dame, with crowded galleries, red drapery and the imperial party on the black-and-white tiled floor.

LEGO coronation diorama seen from the side, spectators packed into the tiered galleries above the ceremony.

Close view of the LEGO coronation build showing a distinctly grumpy Pope Pius VII and equally unimpressed clergy in red robes behind the kneeling empress.

The second build, depicting Napoleon’s coronation, may be smaller, but it’s full of impressive details. I especially loved the grumpy expression on Pope Pius VII’s face, along with the equally unimpressed looks from the rest of the clergy—it really adds character to the scene!

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3. The Coup on 18th Brumaire

LEGO build of the long colonnaded Orangery at Saint-Cloud lined with deputies, set against a painted backdrop of the coup.

LEGO diorama of the coup of 18 Brumaire: deputies and soldiers crowding a tiled hall as the session breaks up.

Close view of the LEGO coup build showing rows of Council of Five Hundred deputies in red capes among grenadiers in bearskins.

Again not a very big build but… those red capes… the hats… the outfits —need I say more?

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4. Napoleon asks Josephine for a Divorce

Three-storey LEGO cutaway of a palace interior built for the scene in which Napoleon asks Joséphine for a divorce.

Close view of the LEGO divorce scene: a Joséphine minifigure collapsing backwards over a white chaise while Napoleon stands over her.

This moment is supposed to be, by all accounts, heart-wrenching for everyone involved—Napoleon asking Josephine for a divorce. But, since it’s LEGO, it ends up looking unintentionally hilarious.

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5. The Crossing of the Berezina River

LEGO diorama of the retreat from Russia, with massed troops, regimental standards and abandoned guns.

LEGO Berezina build showing carriages, cavalry and baggage crowding the icy river crossing.

Wide view of the LEGO Berezina diorama: a snow-covered landscape with the Grande Armée strung out along the frozen river.

This is another brilliant build, capturing what was arguably Napoleon’s greatest military disaster. While it’s not as large as the Egypt campaign scene, it’s packed with intricate details that make it just as interesting.

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