] Have you got a reference for that, Caroline? I've come across that notion before, and I think it's suss. The French army was very, very particular about letting only seriously noble people get in before the Revolution: I don't think he could have passed for a second with a title he didn't have a right to.

I have no idea as to whether Napoleon Bonaparte served in a similar regiment, but his family was at best minor nobility or so I understand. I do not think that four quarters (four noble grandparents) were needed. Some regiments were probably pickier than others (just as in the British army at the same time).

This is not an invitation to start discussing Napoleon per se, but just a recollection on my part.

Shinjinee
-experiencing the move from h*ll