NAPOLEON III
Napoleon’s nephew became President of France following the revolution in 1848 which ousted King Louis-Philippe. Ineligible to stand for a second term, he staged the coup d’état which made him Emperor Napoleon III.
He was a notorious playboy and had never married. As Emperor he decided he wanted to found a dynasty and needed a suitable Empress. He married Eugenie, a Paris educated Spanish noblewoman who was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time.
The 33 year old bride quickly became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage. Three years later she gave birth to a son – Napoleon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph, known as the Prince Imperial. Queen Victoria was his godmother.
As they had done before for Napoleon’s son, the City of Paris presented the Imperial couple with an elaborate cradle. It was designed, made and decorated by all of the most important names of the period.
Eugenie was fascinated by Marie-Antoinette and she furnished her private apartments with items from that era stored in the national furniture storage.
Her bed is displayed at Compiegne, the royal chateau where Napoleon III and Eugenie hosted the “series” every autumn – a six week party with individual guests being invited for a week.
When Napoleon III was forced to abdicate the family moved to England. He died there two years later.
In 1872 at the age of 16 the Prince Imperial he passed the entry exam for the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. Like Napoleon Bonaparte, he graduated as an artillery officer. He was very conscious of his military heritage and insisted on joining his class mates from Woolwich in the British combat against the Zulus in South Africa. He was killed there at the age of 23. Paying homage to his courage, the Zulus returned his uniform and other personal items they had taken from his body. He was finally buried with his father in England.
Queen Victoria had a monument erected to mark the place he had died and placed a memorial tomb in his honour which can be seen in the chapel at Windsor castle.