When Napoleon III came to power, like his uncle Napoleon, he was conscious of the need for an heir.
He married Eugenie, a Spanish countess who had been educated in Paris. 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.
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.
