FAMOUS LEADERS IN PERFUME HISTORY

Napoléon Bonaparte and Joséphine de Beauharnais

By Creezy Courtoy Perfume Historian and Anthropologist

I would like to enlighten some of the historical figures who contributed to the world of perfume. 
Fragrance was not just a luxury but an essential aspect of social and political life, shaping cultures and influencing relationships throughout history.
From ancient queens who used scents to assert their power and allure to emperors and kings who embraced fragrance as a symbol of sophistication and prestige, they all contribute to develop art of perfumery. They left an indelible mark on the world of scent, turning it into a powerful tool for expression, allure, and social status.  
 
Alexander the Great
In 333 B.C., Alexander the Great defeated the Persians at Issos and Egypt moved to the Greek world. His conquests did lead to the blending of cultures, including those related to perfumes. 
 
Queen Cleopatra
It was told that Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt (69-30 B.C.), Egypt experienced the height of perfumes. Of Greek origin and the daughter of Ptolemy, Cleopatra brought to Egypt one of the finest lifestyles. Before boarding her ship, she had the sails perfumed with scented oils composed of rare and precious ingredients.    
Cleopatra’s life was all about seduction and scents; Caesar fell under her spell and Antony into her arms.
 
Emperor Nero
Under the Reign of Emperor Nero, Dioscorides, a physician, pharmacologist and botanist, advocated several remedies to prevent and cure diseases.
Like Egyptians and Greeks, however, Romans considered perfumes as a sign of the presence of gods. They attributed a scent to each deity.
 
Queen of Sheba and King Solomon
On The Perfume Roads, in the 10th century B.C., Balkis, the Queen of Sheba organized a meeting with Solomon, the Hebrew King. The Kingdom of Sheba (“Sheba” means “Mystery”) was located south of the
Fertile Crescent. Its economy relied mainly on the cultivation of myrrh and incense for its main client: Egypt.
King Solomon was the absolute Master over this route.

Queen of Sheba and King Solomon

Caliph Haroun Al Rachid 
Under the reign of Haroun Al Rachid (786- 809), Bagdad became a wealthy trading place, the most affluent and literate in Western Asia and its trade activities developed further.
He lead the Abbasid Caliphs to organize a meeting of scholars in Baghdad coming from all over the empire and encouraged production workshops in all science disciplines, from the Greco-Roman world, promoting perfumery.
Later, Avicenne (980-1037), invented a “cooling coil” for perfumery while Aricalna (10th century), taught the art of preparing scented waters.
They even develop the “alembic” (al–ambiq meaning “vase”). Without any doubt, this rich culture established the basis for medieval perfumery.
 
Emperor Akbar 
Akbar, who ruled the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1605, was so passionate about perfumes that the audience room was always perfumed with flowers, amber, agarwood and perfumes composed of old recipes or even invented by his Majesty.
Incense burned daily in holders made of gold and silver while scented water fountains exhaled perfumes around the palace gardens.
This royal support encouraged the production and the trade of floral essences that were trendy at the Emperor’s Court.
 
King François I   
To secure the import of raw materials from the East (including some  used in perfumery) François I signed an alliance with Sultan Suleiman in 1536, on the model of the trade agreements previously signed by the Ottomans with Venice.
This alliance gave the French a privileged position on the trade roads.
 
Queen Catherine de Medici and King Henri II.
A little Florentine Princess, Catherine de Medici, arrived in France in 1553. She brought in her luggage creams, pomades and beauty secrets, fashion for bottles worn in a pocket or placed onto a dressing-table as well as the fashion of perfumed gloves, the ultimate symbol of Italian aristocracy.
She took with her private perfumer, René the Florentine who opened his first perfumery in Paris, at the Pont au Change.                           
Henri II, under the influence of Catherine de Medici, created the first perfume bottle factory in France, in Saint-Germain en Laye.
 
King Louis XIII and Queen Anne d’Autriche 
Perfumes had favor at the Court of Louis XIII, under the influence of the beautiful Anne d’Autriche.
Of Spanish origin, she brought along with her the tradition of scented gloves, all the science of the culture of flowers and distillation, which Spain had inherited from the Arabs during the Caliphate of Cordoba. To scent the castle rooms, she introduced to France small cages containing little birds made of scented pastes called “Oiselets de Chypre” (Little Birds of Cyprus). Louis XIII recommended them to purify the atmosphere and as protection from epidemics.

Louis XIII, introduced the title of “Master Glovemaker-Perfumer” in 1614 for a true corporation and statutes approved by the Provence Parliament in 1729, this new corporation gradually detached from tannery and finally stopped in 1759.
 
King Louis XIV, the “Roy Soleil” (or “Sun King”)

Appointed “the most perfumed King of the world”, Louis XIV dedication for personal grooming and fragrance is legendary. 
The Roy Soleil considered adornment as a strategy to promote the prestige of Versailles.
Louis XIV even tried to create perfumes with his perfumer Martial. His influence not only revolutionized the world of fragrance but also established it as a key element of royal identity and status.
 
King Louis XV and Marquise de Pompadour 
It was not for nothing that the Court of the King Louis XV was baptized the “Scented Court”.
Men and women were competing for perfumes, aristocrats, bourgeois, people of law, of finances, men of letters and of the sword: everyone was perfumed.
The King ordered that his apartments were impregnated each day with a new perfume.
In Vincennes and Sevres, bronze perfume fountains were erected, decorated with statues and bouquets of flowers, to scent the city.
Medical practitioners strongly recommended perfume for disinfecting and cleaning. 
The Toilet of a King consisted in rubbing hands and face with sweet almond oil before sprinkling perfume generously.
The Marquise de Pompadour was at the same time lover and advisor of the King Louis XV. 
Pompadour’s influence on fashion and fragrance, alongside with her extravagant spending on perfumes showcases how intertwined scent and status were during her time. She was the incarnation of the sensual and refined culture of Versailles. 
Pompadour and du Barry (another Louis XV’s lover) launched the modes at Court. Perfumes were in vogue in all women’s circles in the city and are quickly adopted by any gallant knight, who, as for the powder, adopted the colors and the fragrances of his beloved one.


Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France and King of Italy and Josephine de Beauharnais

Napoleon’s meticulous grooming habits and preference for Cologne Water reflect his understanding of the power of scent. He always had a specific bottle of Cologne water placed in his boots.
As for Josephine de Beauharnais, Creole, accustomed to the strong scents of Martinique, she received the nickname “la Folle au Musc” (Mad Woman with Musk) while spreading the heady emanations in Napoleon’s entourage.

​Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie
Under the Second Empire, a brilliant court led by Empress Eugenie was far too much for parties and balls not to love the refinements of the adornment and perfumes. Napoleon III defended the arts, music and made perfume the prerogative of his court.
 
In conclusion, the world of perfume is deeply intertwined with history, shaped by influential figures who recognized the power of scent in personal expression and societal status. From regal queens to visionary leaders, these individuals set trends that defined their eras. Their passion for scent transformed the landscape of perfumery and their legacies remind us that perfume is more than just a luxury; it is a reflection of culture, identity, and ambition.

Stay tuned to discover which contemporary leaders might shape the future of perfumery in the coming years and become a part of its history for generations to come.

​If you want to learn more about the history of perfume, enroll for Creezy Courtoy's intensive World Perfume History Course.