The year he became Emperor Napoleon had decided to re-establish all the former royal chateaux as imperial palaces.
Napoleon appointed General Duroc, who had been with him to the campaign in Italy and in Egypt, as Grand Maréchal du Palais.
He was on every campaign with Napoleon but he was also responsible for his personal security which meant he was heavily involved in any plans for imperial residences.
While work was going on at Fontainebleau in preparation for the Pope’s arrival, Duroc was sent to Versailles.
The Chateau of Versailles was still intact, with the furniture gone and royal emblems removed. It had been used intermittently as a museum. The gardens had been neglected and the fountains and Grand Canal were empty.
Napoleon commissioned architect Jacques Gondouin to draw up plans for his “grand project” to occupy Versailles. The naturalist he appointed to work on the garden accompanied him to Italy to select sculptures to bring back for Versailles. Silk was ordered from Lyon and tapestries from Gobelins in preparation of refurnishing the chateau.
The first plans from the architect were not well received by Napoleon’s chief architect Pierre Fontaine (who resented not being given the project) so Napoleon dropped the idea for the time.
He later returned to the idea. He had new plans drawn up by architects under Fontaine to turn Versailles into a palace for his second wife Marie-Louise, great niece of Marie-Antoinette. The first plans presented were considered OTT and Napoleon wanted them revised.
War and his subsequent exile would prevent the project from happening.
The Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon were a different story.
*In addition to his duties as Grand Maréchal du Palais, Duroc, who was a trusted friend and advisor, carried out diplomatic missions for Napoleon.
However it was finally on the battlefield he died. Duroc was with Napoleon in Silesia in 1813 where he was killed by a cannonball. Napoleon was devastated at the loss of his friend of 20 years. He ordered his burial at Les Invalides.
In 1847 Duroc was finally buried at the entrance to the staircase leading down to Napoleon’s tomb. He is opposite General Bertrand, who had taken over as Grand Maréchal du Palais and accompanied Napoleon on his final exile to Saint Helena. The architect Visconti designed matching marble cenotaphs for Duroc and Bertrand who are still standing guard.
