Napoleon's hat among items on sale as Monaco prince seeks funds
A large selection of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's belongings will be auctioned near Paris this weekend as the Monaco royal family sells its collection to fund palace renovations.
About 1,000 items collected between 1895 and 1920 by Louis II, Prince Albert's grandfather, will be auctioned, said Jean- Pierre Osenat, the president of one of the auction houses organizing the sale on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 in Fontainebleau, on the outskirts of the French capital.
"Due to necessary rehabilitation of the Palais de Monaco, which will enhance our cultural heritage, I prefer to give a new lease of life to this collection of objects and relics, by organizing a visible and grouped auction, rather than to see them remain in the shadows," Prince Albert said in the catalog of items being auctioned.
The objects with an estimated value of between 4 million euros and 5 million euros ($6.2 million) include some rare items, such as Napoleon's hat, the embroidered slippers that his son was christened in and gloves left in his coach after the Waterloo battle, Osenat said.
On sale will also be strands of Napoleon's hair, his stockings, rifles, official decorations, a diamond-studded sword, furniture and paintings, including a portrait of the emperor by Paul Delaroche.
To contact the reporter on this story: Angeline Benoit in Paris at abenoit4bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jerrold Colten at jcoltenbloomberg.net Vidya Root, Steve Rhinds