Where does Napoleon IIIs nickname “Badinguet” come from?
It was not until after the fall of the Empire in 1870 that Napoleon III was given the nickname “Badinguet”. Its origins are not known, due mainly to the number of different stories, some more plausible than others, that have been suggested to explain it. Amongst them is the episode that has Louis Bonaparte buying the clothes of a mason called Badinguet in order to disguise himself and escape from the Chteau de Ham. The most likely explanation however is the drawing by Gavarni that appeared in the Charivari satirical newspaper, depicting a rather off-hand character who had been given the name “Badinguet”. This slang-term meant simply a clown or a joker.
