Jewellery belonging to the former French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, seized after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, is going under the hammer this Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland.
A diamond brooch, estimated to be worth over €215,000 with significant historical importance, is being auctioned by Sotheby’s during its Luxury Week, as part of the Royal & Noble Jewels collection.
Alongside the brooch, an unmounted cushion-shaped green beryl worn by Napoleon for his coronation in 1804 is also being put up for auction, estimated to fetch up to €50,000. It was held in the same collection but isn’t believed to be connected to the Battle of Waterloo.
The diamond brooch, however, was seized by Prussian generals and presented to their king after Napoleon fled the Battle of Waterloo. Since then, it has remained an heirloom of the Prussian Royal House of Hohenzollern for over two centuries.
Portrait of Napoleon
After his famous defeat against British and Prussian armies on the Waterloo battlefield in June 1815, the French Emperor was forced to abandon many precious belongings during his army’s retreat.
Leaving in haste, his carriages were left behind after being held up on the muddy roads near the Belgian village of Genappe, just a few miles from the Waterloo battlefield.
The Prussian army captured and seized at least two carriages carrying the personal belongings of the Emperor including medals, weapons, silverware, a hat and a jewellery box containing 22 solitaires and 121 small diamonds.
The capture of Napoleon's carriage after the Battle of Waterloo, painted by Drucke from the European School.
The brooch has been conclusively identified as a hat ornament left behind by Napoleon in his carriage when retreating from Waterloo, according to Sotheby’s.
Lieutenant von Pless, one of the men participating in the looting, presented the King of Prussia Frederick William III with this diamond jewel on 21 June 1815, only three days after the battle of Waterloo.
He commanded the Fusilier Battalion in the 15th Regiment which captured Napoleon’s dormeuse carriage containing the brooch. "This ornament is so rare that it should rightfully belong only to the Crown of Prussia and our revered King," von Pless said while presenting the gift.
Frederick William III, King of Prussia during the Battle of Waterloo
The circular brooch is described as being approximately 45 mm in diameter, featuring a large 13.04-carat oval diamond in the centre, surrounded by nearly a hundred old mine-cut diamonds.
In 1913, the hat ornament is listed as part of a suite of jewels related to the diamonds found in Napoleon’s abandoned carriage at Genappe. These include the bow-shaped brooch mentioned above and a necklace, together with a pair of earring surmounts, seemingly missing their pendants.
The brooch was passed to the German monarchy after the unification of Germany – which Prussia’s military successes had a key hand in bringing about – until Germany’s defeat in the First World War, when the monarchy was then abolished.
Full set of jewels, with the brooch in the centre. Credit: Sotheby's
However, the jewels remained in the hands of the Hohenzollern family as they were considered private property. They were passed down from German Kaiser Wilhelm II to his son Crown Prince Wilhelm and his grandson Prince Louis Ferdinand. Recently, they were been held in a private collection, but now will go up for auction on Wednesday.
Napoleon’s illustrious military career ended on 18 June 1815 on the battlefield of Waterloo. After ruling most of Europe during almost 20 years, the French Emperor lost his last battle and was subsequently exiled on the island of Saint Helena.
He often travelled with diamonds, so it is not surprising that the former French Emperor would have a diamond brooch in his coach to wear on his hat if victory required it, according to Sotheby’s.
In his last will and testament, the former Emperor mentions the personal diamonds which had been taken from him after the battle.
