The Saint and the Empress

I watched one of my favourite films again during Easter - The Song of Bernadette. In this movie, there is a scene in which several people are arrested because they took water from the miraculous spring at Lourdes where Saint Bernadette (played beautifully by Jennifer Jones) had her visions of Mary.  These people are asked to pay fines.  One well-dressed lady offers to pay everyone's fines.  There is great shock when this lady states imperiously that she is the nanny to the Empress Eugenie's son who is gravely ill, and the Empress has requested a bottle of water for him.

Was this true? According to the Catholic News Agency, Empress Eugenie 's son was cured, so she did support Saint Bernadette.  However, the movie dramatized the situation.  I haven't read an account of the nanny asking for the water from the spring in these circumstances!

Mary told Saint Bernadette that she was the Immaculate Conception, and asked her to have a chapel built on the site of the holy spring.  The authorities tried to close the site and delay construction , but the Empress had seen for herself the power of the holy water, and supported the young saint. She intervened to make sure that the chapel was built.

Song of Bernadette