The Son of the Emperor
Prince Imperial
An Alternative History Affair
Prologue: III
The Emperor Napoleon I, with all his children. Sitting in his lap is the Prince Imperial, the only legitimate child of the Emperor.
Prince Imperial
An Alternative History Affair
Prologue: III
The Emperor Napoleon I, with all his children. Sitting in his lap is the Prince Imperial, the only legitimate child of the Emperor.
The Empress Marie-Louise and the Prince Imperial fled the palace of Tuileries, accompanied by the Empress’s suite. A first stop at the Château de Rambouillet, before the fear of enemy troops pushed them on towards the Château de Blois. During the evacuation, the young prince had to leave behind the majority of the possessions he had come accustomed to; and thought that the Bourbon King Louise XVIII had stolen his toys. However; he toys would be eventually forwarded to Vienna, with all the Napoleonic symbols stripped from them, by the orders of his maternal grandfather, Emperor Franz I of Austria.
On April 11th, the Treaty of Fontainebleau severely reduced the House of the Bonaparte. The Emperor of the French became the Emperor of Elba, a tiny island off the coasts of Italy. The Empress became the in control of the Duchy of Parma, the Duchy of Placentia and the Duchy of Duchy of Guastalla; with the Prince Imperial as heir. On April 13th, Marie-Louise and the child-king of Rome were back at Château de Rambouillet, meeting her father Emperor Franz and Tsar Alexander of Russia. By April 23rd, escorted by an Austrian regiment of grenadiers, the young mother and young son left France for their exile in Austria.
On March 1st, 1815, the famed Emperor escaped from his domain of Elba and became what was known as the Hundred Days, where he was the master of France one more. The last rise to glory would end on June 18th, 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. The defeat of the Emperor was quickly followed by his abdication in favor of his now four year old son. Though crowned as Napoléon II, the Government Commission that ruled France before the return of King Louis XVIII would not summon the new emperor to Paris or appoint a regent.
It is unsure of the young emperor even knew he was crowned in stead of his father; as his mother had been cutting off communication with his father on the orders of Emperor Franz I. In short time, the former Empress would renounce her title as Empress in scorn of Napoléon I who was exiled to St. Helena; where he would die in May 1821. During the Congress of Vienna that followed, the Prince Imperial was stripped of his title as the King of Rome. The Austrian Royal Family wished to make the boy forget about his French blood and his father that had destroyed the balance of Europe.
As the years progressed, the Prince Imperial’s titles and heritage continued to diminish. In the late months of 1816, the Imperial Court of Vienna advised that he could not inherit the Duchies his mother ruled over. A consolation prize was given to the young child; he was known as the “Duke of Reichstadt”. The Duke’s father’s who once averred “that he would prefer his son be strangled rather than be brought up as an Austria prince” would live long enough to see his son reduced to a rank inferior to Austrian princes.
The Prince Imperial, around the age of seven, possibly eight years old. The prince was commonly known as "Franz" after his maternal grandfather, Emperor Franz I of Austria.
On April 11th, the Treaty of Fontainebleau severely reduced the House of the Bonaparte. The Emperor of the French became the Emperor of Elba, a tiny island off the coasts of Italy. The Empress became the in control of the Duchy of Parma, the Duchy of Placentia and the Duchy of Duchy of Guastalla; with the Prince Imperial as heir. On April 13th, Marie-Louise and the child-king of Rome were back at Château de Rambouillet, meeting her father Emperor Franz and Tsar Alexander of Russia. By April 23rd, escorted by an Austrian regiment of grenadiers, the young mother and young son left France for their exile in Austria.
On March 1st, 1815, the famed Emperor escaped from his domain of Elba and became what was known as the Hundred Days, where he was the master of France one more. The last rise to glory would end on June 18th, 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. The defeat of the Emperor was quickly followed by his abdication in favor of his now four year old son. Though crowned as Napoléon II, the Government Commission that ruled France before the return of King Louis XVIII would not summon the new emperor to Paris or appoint a regent.
It is unsure of the young emperor even knew he was crowned in stead of his father; as his mother had been cutting off communication with his father on the orders of Emperor Franz I. In short time, the former Empress would renounce her title as Empress in scorn of Napoléon I who was exiled to St. Helena; where he would die in May 1821. During the Congress of Vienna that followed, the Prince Imperial was stripped of his title as the King of Rome. The Austrian Royal Family wished to make the boy forget about his French blood and his father that had destroyed the balance of Europe.
As the years progressed, the Prince Imperial’s titles and heritage continued to diminish. In the late months of 1816, the Imperial Court of Vienna advised that he could not inherit the Duchies his mother ruled over. A consolation prize was given to the young child; he was known as the “Duke of Reichstadt”. The Duke’s father’s who once averred “that he would prefer his son be strangled rather than be brought up as an Austria prince” would live long enough to see his son reduced to a rank inferior to Austrian princes.
The Prince Imperial, around the age of seven, possibly eight years old. The prince was commonly known as "Franz" after his maternal grandfather, Emperor Franz I of Austria.
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