MEMORIAL OF THE IMPERIAL PRINCE NAPOLEON

In the Jojosini Valley, you can't help but feel a little twinge of sadness. You will see the plaque erected for the centenary of the prince's death in 1979 by the French ambassador and the late Prince Napoleon. South Africans call it "The Prince Imperial". Between 1872 and 1875, the young boy attended the military academy in Woolwich, Great Britain, where his family lived in exile. After the death of his father in 1873, the hopes of some of the monarchists were pinned on him. Against the advice of Prime Minister Disraeli, but with the permission of Queen Victoria, the Prince embarked for Natal in February 1879, he wanted to have experience in the field. In May 1879, Prince Napoleon joined Lord Chelmsford's troops as an extraordinary observer. On June¹, he took part in a reconnaissance mission under the command of Captain Carey. Around 3 p.m., they rest their horses near the Ityotyozi River when Zulus rush upon them. The prince manages with great difficulty to catch his horse, distraught by the screams of the assailants. He is about to get into the saddle when the stirrup breaks. Facing the Zulu, he uses his last ammunition and falls pierced by the spears. His body was found the next day with seventeen wounds. Completely naked, he had only the medal of the Virgin Mary around his neck, struck on the back of the imperial seal. The remains were transported to Dundee and then to Pietermaritzburg. The Prince lies next to his father at Farnborough. A year later, Empress Eugenie makes the long journey to Natal to visit the scene of her son's death. For security reasons, she embarks under the identity of the Duchess of Pierrefonds. On her way back, she dropped a black glove, now on display at the National History Museum in Pretoria. From Dundee, take the R68 for 52 km to Nqutu where you will see a sign. Go through the village and go straight on to Nondweni.

Information and guided tour from Professor Glenn Flanagan, initiator of the project, who organises an annual week of commemoration (✆ +27 33 342 4599 / +27 82 677 9997 - [email protected]). Another French Battlefields guide, Elizabeth, based in Dundee

To read: The Imperial Prince "Napoleon IV", Jean-Claude Lachnitt. Perrin. Napoleon IV, a broken destiny, Alain Frèrejean. Albin Michel.