Is the Coronation Just a Mistake?

Napoleon would never be fully accepted as a member in good standing of the european nobility. He would always be seen as an upstart, a brash country bandit from rustic corsica. The opulence of the coronation just made the contrast between his lofty position and humble origins even more stark. This was a statement of ambition - he intended to be a charlemagne of the post revolutionary age. It showed that he would undertake this task in his own way, borrowing traditions where he saw fit, and incorporating new ideas brought forward by the revolution.