PRINCE IMPÉRIAL, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (1856-1879)
Letter signed « Louis-Napoléon » to a gentleman
[Camden Place] Chrislehurst, 22nd March 1872, 1 p. small in-8°
« My only ambition is to be able, with God’s help, to justify the hopes of the young French people of my generation who have not forgotten me »
Fact sheet
PRINCE IMPÉRIAL, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (1856-1879)
Letter signed « Louis-Napoléon » to a gentleman
[Camden Place] Chrislehurst, 22nd March 1872, 1 p. small in-8°
Some stains (see scan), usual fold marks
An affectionate mark of recognition from the Prince Imperial to the French of his generation, with the hope of finding them again one day
« Monsieur,
J’accepte bien volontiers les vœux que vous m’avez adressés à l’occasion du seizième anniversaire de ma naissance. Soyez, je vous prie, mon interprète auprès de ceux qui ont associé leur nom au vôtre cette manifestation de fidélité et de sympathies. Ma seule ambition est de pouvoir un jour, dieu aidant, justifier les espérances des jeunes français de ma génération qui ne m’ont pas oublié.
Je vous envoie, Monsieur, à vous et à vos amis, avec mon remerciement bien sincère, l’assurance de mes sentiments.
Louis-Napoléon »
Throughout his short life, the Prince Imperial remained very attached to his country of origin, even though he had not set foot there since the debacle of Sedan on 1 September 1870. He kept a very close eye on the policies pursued by the various governments of the Third Republic, while at the same time devising numerous political projects, in the hope of a return of the Empire.
The letter was dictated to his tutor Augustin Filon (1841-1916) and then signed by the Prince Imperial.
Provenance :
Jean-Claude Lachnitt’s collection