The Prince Imperial (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''prince impérial'') of France was a title originally created under the Constitution of the Year XII, in 1804, to designate the eldest son of the Emperor of the French under the First French Empire. The title was, furthermore, revived under the Sénatus-Consulte of 25 December 1852, to serve the same role under the Second French Empire. Unlike the similar titles of Prince Imperial of Brazil and

Prince Imperial of Mexico The Prince Imperial of Mexico is the title created on June 22, 1822 by the Mexican Constituent Congress, to be granted to the firstborn and heir of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide. This title also refers to the heads of the Imperial House and desig ...

, however, the title could not be kept in use by the

House of Bonaparte Italian and Corsican: ''Casa di Buonaparte'', native_name_lang=French, coat of arms=Arms of the French Empire3.svg, caption=Coat of arms assumed by Emperor Napoleon I, image_size=150px, alt=Coat of Arms of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, typ ...

after the death of Napoléon, Prince Imperial, as the wording both of the Constitution of the Year XII and the Sénatus-Consulte of 25 December 1852 explicitly specifies that the title shall be borne by the eldest son of the Emperor (and, consequently, with no Emperor there can be no Prince Imperial).

Overview

The title of Prince Imperial of France was initially established under Article 9 of the Constitution of the Year XII, which provided that the eldest son of the Emperor would bear the title of Prince Imperial, while the other members of the French Imperial Family would bear the title of French Prince. However, the title was eclipsed under the First Empire by the additional title of

King of Rome The king of Rome ( la, rex Romae) was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine Hill. Seven legendary kings are said to have ruled Rome until 509 ...

, which was granted to

Napoleon II , house = Bonaparte , father = Napoleon I, Emperor of the French , mother = Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma , birth_date = , birth_place = Tuileries Palace, Paris, French Empire ...

upon birth. Following the coalition victory in the War of the Sixth Coalition,

Emperor Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

was forced to accept the terms of the Treaty of Fontainebleau. The Treaty's first article functioned as an act of abdication, by which Napoleon I renounced, for himself, his descendants, and all other members of his family.Alphonse de Lamartine, p. 202. ( Article I) ''His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon renounces, for himself, his successors and descendants as well as for each of the members of his family, all right of sovereignty and domination, as well as over the French Empire and the kingdom of Italy as over all other countries.'' While the second article provided that the Emperor, his wife, and his "mother, brothers, sisters nephews and nieces" would be entitled to retain, as

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

s, the

substantive title A substantive title is a title of nobility or royalty acquired either by individual grant or inheritance. It is to be distinguished from a title shared among cadets, borne as a courtesy title by a peer's relatives, or acquired through marriage. ...

s they then held,Alphonse de Lamartine, p. 202. ( Article II) ''Their Majesties the Emperor Napoleon and the Empress Marie-Louise, will preserve their titles and qualities to enjoy them during their lives. The mother, brothers, sisters nephews and nieces of the Emperor shall equally preserve, wherever they may be sojourning, the titles of princes of his family.'' it made no such provision for Napoleon II, who was granted instead the title of "Prince of Parma, of Placentia, and of Guastalla" under the Treaty's fifth article.Alphonse de Lamartine, p. 203. ( Article V) ''The Duchies of Parma, of Placentia, and of Guastalla shall be given, in all property and sovereignty, to her Majesty the Empress Marie-Louise. They shall pass to her son and to his descendants in direct line. The prince her son shall take, from this time, the title of Prince of Parma, of Placentia, and of Guastalla.'' Consequently, Napoleon II lost the titles of King of Rome and Prince Imperial of France upon the Treaty's conclusion. A few days short of nine months after the Treaty of Fontainebleau was concluded, Napoleon I, reacting to the recovery of his own popularity among the French people, Legitimists in France and diplomats at the Congress of Vienna openly calling for his further exile to the Azores or

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

(or, in some cases, hinting at his assassination), and the fact that the coalition was distracted for the moment by infighting at Vienna, returned to France from his exile in Elba, inaugurating the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...

. Reinstating the Constitution of the Year XII, Napoleon I's return to Paris caused the title of Prince Imperial of France once again to be conferred upon his son. However, following the decisive French defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon I, bowing to political pressure, finally abdicated in favor of his son on 22 June 1815. On 26 June (the day following Napoleon I's final departure from Paris), the Provisional Government established upon the abdication indirectly deposed the four-year old Emperor Napoleon II, in a proclamation specifying that all processes and instruments would thereafter be issued in the name of the French people, rather than in the name of the young Emperor. Soon thereafter, the

House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...

was

restored ''Restored'' is the fourth studio album by American contemporary Christian music musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004 by BEC Recordings. Track listing Standard release Enhanced edition Deluxe gold edition Standard ...

for the second time in as many years, after the Provisional Government failed to secure concessions from the victorious coalition, conclusively ending the First French Empire. As Napoleon II ceased to be the Prince Imperial as soon as his short reign began, and no one could hold the title without being the eldest son of an Emperor of the French, the title fell into disuse until after the establishment of the Second French Empire under Napoleon III. Article 6 of the Sénatus-Consulte of 25 December 1852 was nearly a verbatim copy of the text of Article 9 of the Constitution of the Year XII, stating once again that the eldest son of the Emperor would bear the title of Prince Imperial, while the other members of the Imperial Family would bear the title of French Prince, including those that served in the military during the Franco Prussia conflict. Three and a half years later, the second and final substantive holder of the title of Prince Imperial of France, Napoléon, Prince Imperial, was born. In contrast to the First Empire, wherein the title of Prince Imperial had been eclipsed by that of King of Rome, Prince Imperial was the primary substantive title of its second holder. Napoléon, Prince Imperial continued to hold the title substantively from birth until the Second Empire was overthrown on 4 September 1870. Thereafter, he continued to hold it as a courtesy title until he was killed in a skirmish during the Anglo-Zulu War.

List of Princes Imperial of France

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:France, Prince Imperial Of Heirs to the throne Royal titles Prince Imperial

Overview

List of Princes Imperial of France

See also

References