Tot Zover

After the lost battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was exiled to the isolated Saint Helena. After six years, he died there in 1821. In 1840, his grave was opened and his embalmed body was exhumed. After years of negotiations with the English, the French were allowed to bring the body to Paris and rebury. The long journey to Paris and the reburial were moments of triumph for France. The emperor's remains were received in great fashion in Paris. Many thousands of curious people witnessed one of the most spectacular funerals of the time, the final piece of a fine example of international funeral transport.

Many prints soon appeared as a result of episodes from the trip. The exhibition shows nineteen prints of Napoleon's last journey. Most are lithographs by Victor Adam from the series 'Le retour des cendres' (The return of the ashes) (1840/1841).

Opening of Napoleon's Coffin

Napoleon's body was exhumed seven days after arriving in Saint Helena. This happened overnight and took a total of nine hours. His embalmed body was placed in four chests consisting of different materials including lead, tin and wood. In the background you can see the construction with which the stone grave slab was removed.

It was feared that Napoleon's remains would be decomposed, however the body turned out to be well preserved. This is to the delight of the French, who react in amazement and emotion to the print.

We see several people in the print; ship's doctor Remy Guillard lifts the satin cloth covering Napoleon's body. Next to him, his assistant prepares to sprinkle Napoleon with preservative fluid. Abbot Coquereau prays with two acolytes (older altar boys). To the left of Napoleon, a man is holding the imperial cloak, this was brought from Paris, as was the ebony chest in the foreground. The tools with which the boxes were opened lie on the floor.

Napoleon's body leaves his place of exile

After the French delegation saw that Napoleon's embalmed body was in good condition, the boxes were closed again. The key to the outer chest was solemnly given to the emissary of the French king, the Duke of Chabot.

The chest was covered with the imperial cloak. The day after they started the trip to the harbor, a four-horse carriage transported the chest. This carriage is clearly visible here. The trip lasted two hours and took place partly in the rain. Only when entering Jamestown did the sun break through. The French ships and the English fortresses fired so-called minute shots continuously: cannon shots at one minute intervals.

The picture shows the moment when the coffin is loaded into the coach and taken to a ready sloop. The officers of the French ships are about to receive the coffin. They are bareheaded, and the front man is the Prince of Joinville. His arm gesture indicates that he is speaking to the man opposite him. That is General Middlemore, the English Governor, who is thanked for his cooperation. The governor bows in respect.

The Embarkation of Napoleon's body on the road to Saint Helena

After the last ceremonies on the quay, the chest was carefully placed in the ready sloop. Surrounded by several other longboats, they rowed slowly to the Belle Poule. The imperial cloak was draped over the coffin. The Prince of Joinville himself took the helm.

When the longboats left the dock, the British fired 21 salute shots. This so-called "royal salute" was reserved for kings and thus marks the respect of the English for Napoleon.

The small French squadron had meanwhile been joined by two French merchant ships. The five ships answered the salute shots with some ceremonial bursts. Themourning signs on the ships were replaced by many flags and pennants. The crews had taken a seat on the wharf. The sailors were bareheaded and held their hats in their hands. It was a triumphant moment for the French.

Napoleon's casket in the funeral chapel

Here the moment is depicted immediately after the ceremony on the deck of frigate de Belle Poule. The coffin was taken to the chapelle ardante, the funeral chapel, followed by those present. They wait reverently in the doorways. The man to the left with a beard is François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville.

Abbot Coquereau is behind the coffin. A choir boy kneels beside him. Behind the abbot is the altar with more candles and two books on it. Coquereau's own account of the journey shows that here he is reciting Psalm 109. This is very unusual as Psalm 109 (110 in the Dutch translation) is a song on the occasion of the investiture of the king. This was later seen as pertaining to the Messiah and this psalm does not appear in the death liturgy.

The chapel in the port of departure was decorated with a chic cenotaph - the still empty grave marker - and beautifully decorated. The walls were covered with dark velor, with gold stitching. On the way, something had gone wrong in Toulon. The ebony coffin was too big for the cenotaph and would not fit. The cenotaph was then removed and the imperial cloak placed directly over the coffin.

The day after the transfer of the body and all the ceremonies, the residents of Saint Helena were allowed to take a look at the funeral chapel. That way they could say goodbye to the man who was among them for twenty-five years.

In Cherbourg, Napoleon's body is transferred to Normandy

On November 30th, the Belle Poule reached the port of Cherbourg. The ship was alone, the other ships had been dispatched.

In Cherbourg, the coffin was transferred to the Normandy. With this modern radar steamer one would first sail by sea to Le Havre and then on the Seine to just below Rouen. There the current became too strong and another steamboat would take over. Indeed, a fleet of ten radar steamers approached them. Napoleon's body would board the Dorade 3.

The print shows just the moment that the ebony wooden coffin comes on board the Normandy. The heavy coffin seems to slide off the shelf by itself. The Prince of Joinville stands to the right of the chest and gestures with his arms. Abbot Coquereau is already on board and in prayer. The quay is filled with soldiers. Some interested citizens watch it happen from small boats.

On the Normandy, a beautiful place was made for the coffin: a temple with twelve columns and velvet curtains. However, this is not recognizable in the print.

Napoleon's corpse

The last part of the journey started in Courbevoie. Here Napoleon's body was placed in an elaborately decorated funeral carriage. This char funèbre (funerary cart) had already arrived. It was hidden in a large hangar, near the bridge to Neuilly.

The carriage was designed by Henri Labrouste. Together with Louis-Tullius Visconti, this architect was responsible for the decoration of the entire ceremony. Labrouste designed the jetty in Courbevoie, the catafalque boat, the funeral carriage and the many decorations in the city.

The char funèbre was impressive. The carriage was ten meters long, five and a half meters wide and ten meters high. The carriage weighed 13000 kilos. He was drawn by sixteen horses, they will likely have had trouble with it.

The vehicle had a sober, classicistic appearance. At the front were statues of two angels holding up the emperor's son. There were draperies, banners, reliefs and gilded decorations. At the very top, a coffin is supported by fourteen caryatids. The famous French writer Victor Hugo criticized this. This coffin was empty. The (heavy) coffin with Napoleon's body was at the bottom. "The cart hid what we wanted to see," wrote Hugo.

Napoleon's funeral procession arrives in Paris

This print shows the moment when the funeral carriage passes the Arc de Triomphe, bringing Napoleon back to Paris.

December 15th, 1840 was a cold day. At ten o'clock in the morning the procession had left Courbevoie. The Pont de Neuilly was taken over the Seine. From there it was a straight line of three and a half kilometers to the Arc de Triomphe.

Napoleon himself ordered the construction of the triumphal arch in 1806. It was a reminder of the victory of the French troops at Austerlitz. Construction was not completed until 1837.

The funeral procession was composed with the utmost care. The Parisian gendarmerie took the lead, followed by several military units and several coaches with dignitaries. The closer to the funeral carriage, the more important one was. The only ecclesiastical representative was Abbot Coquereau, furthermore, it was a purely military affair. The Belle Poule and Favorite crew formed a square around the carriage.

This print gives an impression of the scale of the event and also the park-like surroundings of the Arc de Triomphe in 1840.

Napoleon's catafalque and chapel, in the Dôme des Invalides

After the long and cold journey from Courbevoie, they entered the Dôme des Invalides at two o'clock in the afternoon. This was actually the royal chapel of Les Invalides.

The galleries, the choir and the stands were filled with the French elite. As the procession stopped in front of the stairs to the dome, King Louis-Philippe rose from his throne and greeted the leader of the expedition, his son François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville. From his hands and on behalf of the French people, the King received Napoleon's body.

The outside light is shielded with purple curtains and the chapel is lit by candles and fire bowls. The decoration consists of canvases and paintings with royal emblems and mourning symbols. There are also many flags. Next to the king is an officer carrying a pillow, on which lies Napoleon's sword. The king ordered General Bertrand (left) to put the sword on the coffin.

After everyone sat down, mass began. Mozart's Requiem was sung. The archbishop and the king sprinkled the chest with holy water before it was placed on the catafalque in the chapel of Saint Jerome.

The Tomb of Napoleon

The left print shows the Parisian funerary monument of Napoleon, a tomb in neoclassical style. The monument is located in the Dôme des Invalides.

The entire monument is decorated with weapons, shields, festoons and other military emblems. Everything refers to Napoleon's imperial ambitions. There is an eagle in the center of the roof, as well as on every corner of the roof. The coffin is placed high and is carried by images. On the sides are four braziers and four guards. The guards carry a flag. In the foreground is the chest with the emperor's crown.

We see here a temporary tomb. The final monument, designed by Louis Visconti in 1842, was not completed until 1861, see the image on the right. In the center of the chapel, a round opening serves as a crypt. A large sarcophagus was placed in it.

In 1861, Napoleon's coffin was moved from the chapel of Saint Jerome, where it had been located since 1840, to the basement under the dome of the church. The grave is still visited by thousands of people every day.