Arnaud Ernest Junqua (16 February 1816 in

Lectoure Lectoure (; Gascon: ''Leitora'' ) is a commune in the Gers department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. It is located north of Auch, the capital of the department, south of Agen and approximately northwest of Toulouse. Geograph ...

– 31 January 1893), was a French officer of the ''

Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

,''

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the

cavalry regiment Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating a ...

of the

French Imperial Guard The Imperial Guard (French: ''Garde Impériale'') was originally a small group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. It acted as his bodyguard and tactical reserve, and he ...

and Chief in second of the

Cent-gardes Squadron The Cent-gardes Squadron, ( French: L'Escadron des Cent-gardes), also called ''Cent Gardes à Cheval'' (Hundred Guardsmen on Horseback), was an elite cavalry squadron of the Second French Empire primarily responsible for protecting the person of t ...

.(The name Armand is a bad transcription of the real name Arnaud) In the history of the squadron, Captain Junqua is described as an excellent human being, enough to tell true or invented stories, often invented, which were the joy of his comrades.

Life

Arnaud Junqua was born in the family of the Empire marshal

Jean Lannes Jean Lannes, 1st Duke of Montebello, Prince of Siewierz (10 April 1769 – 31 May 1809), was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was one of Napoleon's ...

, being him the grandson of Jeanne, marshal's sister. His grandfather Arnaud Junqua (1762-1834) was the first sous-préfet of Lectoure (from 1800 to 1816). He entered service in 1834, being promoted to captain on 19 February 1851. He served in the 1st

Carabiniers-à-Cheval The Carabiniers-à-Cheval ( French for Horse Carabiniers or Mounted Carabiniers) were mounted troops in the service of France. Their origins date back to the mid-16th century, when they were created as elite elements of the French light cavalry, ...

Regiment, and then in the

Cuirassier Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adoptin ...

Regiment of the Imperial Guard. On 23 May 1855 he became

Chevalier Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d'h ...

of the Légion d'honneur and was promoted to the rank of officer of this legion on 12 April 1864. As

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

was visiting emperor Napoléon III and the international exhibition of 1855, she stopped before Arnaud Ernest Junqua, then in the

Imperial Guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...

, a very tall man (2,04 meters) and said : "Oh, le bel officier !" ''(Oh, the handsome officer!)''. After this, the ''bel officier'', seduced by the queen (she was 36, he was 39 years old), was supposed to be involved for her in a search of the famous diamond

Koh-i-Nor The Koh-i-Noor ( ; from ), also spelled Kohinoor and Koh-i-Nur, is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing . It is part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The diamond is currently set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Q ...

. On 14 January 1857 he joined the Cent-gardes as captain, thus becoming the second in command of this elite group. As he was very tall, his own bed followed him in his travels.* ''Deux siècles d'Histoire de Lectoure (1780-1980)'', Syndicat d'initiative, Lectoure, 1981, P 108 (fr) He was promoted chief of squadrons on 14 March 1859 and shortly after he joined the 12th Dragons Regiment. He retired on 2 August 1870.

References

1816 births 1893 deaths French Army officers Officers of the Legion of Honour People from Gers {{France-mil-bio-stub