Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

France, Medal for the Translation of the Body of Napoleon I from St. Helena to France 1840, silver, 37mm., by Barre, obv. laureate head of King Louis Philippe facing left; rev., a sixteen line inscription, ‘loi du 10 juin 1840. ordonnant la translation des restes mortels de l’empereur napoleon de l’ile sainte helene a l’eglise de hotel royal des invalides de paris. et la construction de son tombeau aux frais de l’etat. s.a.r. le prince de joinville capitaine de vaisseau commandant de l’expedition.’, engraved around the edge (T. Clark, Foreman, R.E.D. St. Helena, 15th Oct. 1840), fitted with small flattened loop for suspension, [ref. Forrer, Vol 1, p129.], very fine and rare £180-220

Following his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte returned to Paris and on 22 May 1815 he abdicated from the Imperial Throne of France for the second time. Travelling to Rochefort, intending to embark for America, he found only the Royal Navy. Surrendering to the British, he was taken aboard H.M.S. Bellerophon to Plymouth and thence aboard H.M.S. Northumberland he was transported to his place of exile on the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena, arriving on 15 October 1815. He was to remain there for the rest of his life. He died of cancer on 5 May 1821 and was buried in a simple grave on the island.

The ‘liberal revolution’ of 1830 paved the way for his rehabilitation as a national hero and by the Law of 10 June 1840 it was ordained that the Emperor’s remains should be removed to France. On 15 October 1840, with British permission, these were taken from his tomb on the island and embarked the next day on the French frigate, the Belle Poule, under the command of the Prince de Joinville, son of King Louis Philippe. The frigate reached Cherbourg on 30 November 1840 and on 15 December 1840 the body arrived at the Hotel des Invalides. The attendant ceremony was witnessed by the Royal Family and dignitaries of the realm, some million onlookers and a guard of honour of 150,000 soldiers. Notable for their absence were relatives of the deceased Emperor, these being either proscribed, in exile or in prison. The body was finally laid to rest in its crypt on 31 March 1861.