Emperor of the French

Emperor of the French (French: Empereur des Français)

was the title of the monarch and supreme ruler of the First and
Emperor of the French
the Second French Empires. Empereur des Français
IMPERIAL

Details
A title and office used by the House of Bonaparte starting
when Napoleon was proclaimed Emperor on 18 May 1804 by
the Senate and was crowned Emperor of the French on 2
December 1804 at the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, in
Paris, with the Crown of Napoleon.[1]
Imperial coat of arms
The title emphasized that the emperor ruled over "the French
people" (the nation) and not over France (the state). The old
formula of "King of France" indicated that the king owned
France as a personal possession. The new term indicated a
constitutional monarchy.[2] The title was purposely created to
preserve the appearance of the French Republic and to show
that after the French Revolution, the feudal system was
abandoned and a nation state was created, with equal citizens
as the subjects of their emperor. (After 1 January 1809, the
state was officially referred to as the French Empire.[3])

The title of "Emperor of the French" was supposed to

demonstrate that Napoleon's coronation was not a restoration
of the monarchy, but an introduction of a new political system:
the French Empire. Napoleon's reign lasted until 22 June 1815,
when he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, exiled, and
imprisoned on the island of Saint Helena, where he died on 5
May 1821. His reign was interrupted by the Bourbon Last to Reign
Restoration of 1814 and his exile to Elba, from where he Napoleon III
escaped less than a year later to reclaim the throne, reigning as 2 December 1852 – 4 September
Emperor for another 111 days before his final defeat and exile. 1870

Taking the title "emperor" also emphasised that the will of the Details
citizens of France was equal in sovereignty to anyone's, and Style His Imperial
especially to what had been until this time the highest Majesty
sovereignty in the western world: the (Holy) Roman Emperor
First monarch Napoleon I
derived from the ancient Roman Emperors, and whose
sovereignty stemmed from God, as indicated by his coronation Last monarch Napoleon III
by the Pope. Formation 18 May 1804
2 December 1852
Less than a year after the 1851 French coup d'état by
Napoleon's nephew Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, which ended Abolition 22 June 1815
in the successful dissolution of the French National Assembly, 4 September 1870
the Second French Republic was transformed into the Second Residence Tuileries Palace,
French Empire, established by a referendum on 7 November
Elysée-Napoléon,
1852. President Bonaparte, elected by the French people,
officially became Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, from Paris
the symbolic and historic date of 2 December 1852. His rule Pretender(s) Jean-Christophe
would de facto end on July 28, 1870 - the power of the head of
Napoléon
state was transferred to his wife Eugenie de Montijo who
would rule as empress regent of France while Napoleon III left
with his army. His reign would nominally continue until 4
September 1870, as he was officially deposed after his defeat
and capture at the Battle of Sedan during the Franco-Prussian
War. In March of 1871 he would be released from Prussian
custody and exiled to the United Kingdom, where he died on 9
January 1873.

Since the death of Napoleon III's only son, Louis Napoléon in

1879, the House of Bonaparte has had a number of claimants to
the French throne. The current claimant is Charles, Prince
Napoléon, who became head of the House of Bonaparte on 3
May 1997. His position is challenged by his son, Jean-
Christophe, Prince Napoléon, who was named as heir in his late
grandfather's testament.

Honours
Among the honours Napoleon I instituted or received were:
The Four Napoleons
First French Empire: Grand Master of the Legion of
Honour
First French Empire: Grand Master of the Order of the Reunion
Kingdom of Italy: Grand Master of the Order of the Iron Crown
Austrian Empire: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen, 1810[4]
Kingdom of Bavaria: Knight of the Order of St. Hubert, 1805[5]
Kingdom of Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant, 18 May 1808[6]
Kingdom of Portugal: Grand Cross of the Sash of the Three Orders, 8 May 1805[7]
Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 1805[8]
Russian Empire: Knight of the Order of St. Andrew, July 1807[9]
Kingdom of Spain: Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, 1805[10]
Kingdom of Sweden: Knight of the Order of the Seraphim, 3 February 1811[11]

List of emperors

First French Empire

Reign
Name Lifespan Reign end Notes Family Image
start

Napoleon
I 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 18 May 11 April
— Bonaparte
(aged 51) 1804 1814
the Great
Hundred Days

Regarded as a continuation of the First French Empire despite the brief exile of the Emperor
Napoleon I

Reign Reign
Name Lifespan Notes Family Image
start end

Napoleon
I 15 August 1769 – 5 May 20 March 22 June
Bonaparte
1821 (aged 51) 1815 1815
the Great

Napoleon
II 20 March 1811 – 22 July 22 June 7 July Son of
[12] Bonaparte
1832 (aged 21) 1815 1815 Napoleon I
the Eaglet

Second French Empire

Name Lifespan Reign start Reign end Notes Family Image

Nephew of
20 April 1808 – 9
Napoleon 2 December 4 September Napoleon I
January 1873 Bonaparte
III 1852 1870 Cousin of
(aged 64)
Napoleon II

See also
Crown of Napoleon
French Crown Jewels
List of French consorts
List of French monarchs

References
1. Thierry, Lentz. "The Proclamation of Empire by the Sénat Conservateur" (http://www.napoleon.
org/en/reading_room/articles/files/lentz_proclamation.asp). napoleon.org. Fondation Napoléon.
Retrieved 15 August 2014.
2. Philip Dwyer, Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power (2013) p 129
3. "Decree upon the Term, French Republic" (http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/governme
nt/legislation/c_republic.html). napoleon-series.org.
4. "A Szent István Rend tagjai" (http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.or
g/web/20101222022855/http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm) 22 December 2010 at the Wayback
Machine
 5. Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern: 1812 (https://books.google.com/books?id=I
y1RAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA27). Landesamt. 1812. p. 27.
6. J ..... -H ..... -Fr ..... Berlien (1846). Der Elephanten-Orden und seine Ritter (https://archive.org/
details/derelephantenor00berlgoog). Berling. pp. 122 (https://archive.org/details/derelephanten
or00berlgoog/page/n158)–124.
7. Bragança, Jose Vicente de (2011). "A Evolução da Banda das Três Ordens Militares (1789-
1826)" (http://revistas.lis.ulusiada.pt/index.php/lh/article/download/1560/1673) [The Evolution
of the Band of the Three Military Orders (1789-1826)]. Lusíada História (in Portuguese). 2 (8):
272. ISSN 0873-1330 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0873-1330).
8. Liste der Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hohen Ordens vom Schwarzen Adler (1851), "Von
Seiner Majestät dem Könige Friedrich Wilhelm III. ernannte Ritter" p. 15 (https://www.digitale-s
ammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10362193?page=25)
9. Sergey Semenovich Levin (2003). "Lists of Knights and Ladies". Order of the Holy Apostle
Andrew the First-called (1699-1917). Order of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine (1714-1917).
Moscow.
10. "Caballeros Existentes en la Insignie Orden del Toyson de Oro" (http://hemerotecadigital.bne.e
s/issue.vm?id=0000927700&search=&lang=es), Calendario manual y guía de forasteros en
Madrid (in Spanish): 41, 1806, retrieved 17 March 2020
11. Per Nordenvall (1998). "Kungl. Maj:ts Orden". Kungliga Serafimerorden: 1748–1998 (in
Swedish). Stockholm. ISBN 91-630-6744-7.
12. From 22 June to 7 July 1815, Bonapartists considered Napoleon II as the legitimate heir to the
throne, his father having abdicated in his favor. However, the young child's reign was entirely
fictional, as he was residing in Austria with his mother. Louis XVIII was reinstalled as king on 7
July.

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