rock the boat. 1. Lit. to do something to move a boat from side to side, causing it to rock. (Often in a negative sense.) Sit down and stop rocking the boat.
The Bumpy Coronation of Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of the French on December 2, 1804 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. A victorious general who had become leader of France through a coup dâÃ©tat, Napoleon wanted to establish the legitimacy of his regime.
On December 2, 1804 the imperial procession made its way through Paris. In spite of the cold, a half million cheering spectators lined the streets. A little more than 10 years before, the French had beheaded a King. Now, they were crowning an Emperor.