History is often full of incredible coincidences. One of these is a chance meeting of the rejected emperor and the Duke of Valentinois, future Prince of Monaco Honoré V. On March 1, 1815, Napoleon is leaving his place of exile, the island of Elba, and landing in Golfe-Juan, marking a start of his last epic “Hundred Days.” On the same day, the hereditary Prince of Monaco, Honoré Gabriel, arrives in Cannes. Each of them intends to take over their respective States.
It must be said that one year prior to that, Monaco, effectively abolished for twenty years by the Revolution and integrated into France, regains its status as a Principality thanks to the patronage of the French king Louis XVIII. Having replaced Napoleon on the French throne, the latter plays a significant role in Monaco’s restoration.
On March 1, 1815, the future Honoré V is thus heading from Paris to his native Principality. Little did he know that this was a fateful day for Europe: Napoleon landing in Golfe-Juan. Once in Cannes, Honoré Gabriel is the one to witness it firsthand. He is stopped with total politeness but firmness. A mysterious meeting is scheduled for him that night…
Squire of the Empress
The two men already know each other. Enlisted in the French army at the age of 20, Honoré Gabriel was part of Napoleon’s Grand Army. Seriously wounded at the Battle of Hohenlinden in 1800, he returns to service only in 1807. The future Prince of Monaco then takes part in the famous battles of Eylau and Friedland and is awarded the Legion of Honour.
Leaving his military career due to injury, Honoré is appointed squire to Napoleon’s wife, Josephine, remaining faithful even after her divorce in December 1809. Napoleon treasures his true service. Due to some obscure financial dealings, however, the Emperor is forced to send him away. Finding himself in difficulty, in March 1813, Honoré Gabriel is even selling furniture from the family Torigny castle. In his detailed and touching letter to the Empress’s lady-in-waiting, Madame de Ségur, he is lamenting his financial situation preventing him from shining at the court.
But let’s go back to the night of March 1, 1815. Napoleon and his comrades set up camp near Cannes. It is well after midnight when Honoré Gabriel is escorted to the Emperor. Their meeting being all confidential, just one interesting conversation stayed in people’s memory. According to a legend, the Prince answered the Emperor: “I am heading home, to Monaco.” Whereas Bonaparte retorted: “Me too, to the Tuileries.”
One way or another, Honoré Gabriel found himself in quite a dubious situation. Fearing accusations of disloyalty to King Louis XVIII, who had done so much for the Principality, that very night he seeks support from a famous royalist, the Mayor of Cannes. The latter readily undertakes to write a letter clearing the future Prince of Monaco of suspicions. One has to be cautious, one never knows how history may turn around!
The further life of the two rulers developed quite differently. On March 20, 1815, Napoleon returned to power in France, but in June he abdicated in favour of his son François. This period of his reign went down in French history as the “Hundred Days.” Six years later the emperor died on St. Helena. As for Monaco, Honoré Gabriel remained regent for four years, and after the tragic death of his father (Prince Honore IV drowned in the Seine river), he ascended the throne under the name Honoré V and ruled Monaco for more than two decades.
Under the pen of Alexandre Dumas
Since the conversation between Honoré and Napoleon remained secret, the chroniclers of that time did not fail to fill in the blanks, inventing some most bizarre remarks between the two. Alexandre Dumas himself describes the meeting in an ironic and not quite reverential way. His article is published in the “Le Voleur” (Thief) newspaper dated June 30, 1841.
Shortly before his death on October 2, 1841, Prince Honoré V writes a letter to the editor: “… in his attempt to go down in history, the author created a fiction…” The Prince made amendments to the circumstances of the meeting. Never had he denied its very fact, however…
The Napoleon Foundation and the Grimaldi dynasty
The Grimaldi and Napoleon Bonaparte families are intrically connected throughout history. Prince Honoré V of Monaco served in the Imperial Army in the rank of captain and was eventually named Baron of the Empire. He also had the honour of being squire to the Empress Josephine.
As to the great-grandfather of the current Prince of Monaco, Louis II remained an ardent admirer of the Emperor and King of Rome throughout his life. Prince Louis II’s maternal great-grandmother was Stéphanie de Beauharnais, first cousin once removed of Alexandre de Beauharnais, first husband of Josephine, the future empress of France. Napoleon I bestowed upon Stéphanie the title of Princess of France. and solemnly adopted her. Prince Louis II collected hundreds of items related to Napoleonic history. Some of them, in particular, regimental eagles, have a specific historical value. Others, like the Saint Helene medals, are more common. In 1968, Prince Rainier III opened specially a museum in the Palace dedicated to this collection, counting more than a thousand items.
Nowadays, Prince Albert II, in his own words, prefers to “give collected objects and relics a new life rather than keeping them in the shadow.” To this end, three major public auctions were organized in Fontainebleau in 2014 and 2015.
In addition, Prince Albert presented several important artifacts to various institutions. During a small ceremony at the Parisian embassy of the Principality, he personally awarded the Napoleon Foundation with a travelling desk, presented by the Emperor to Marshal Lannes, and Marshal Masséna’s autographed letter. This decisive gesture in favour of the Napoleon Foundation, perpetuates the traditions of Monaco princes who served the imperial cause in their own way.
