The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-07-19 00:00:00

THE FUNERAL OF PRINCE LOUIS
NAPOLEON.

The Admiralty yacht Enchantress, with the remains
of the late Prince Louis Napoleon on board (which
had been transhipped from the Orontes at Spithead
on Thursday), arrived at Woolwich about half-past
two o'clock on Friday afternoon in last week, and after
some delay the remains of the deceased Prince were
carried by blue-jackets to the Armoury, where, accord-
in g to French custom, the necessary ceremony of identi-
fication was proceeded with, in order that his nearest
kin present and the old friends of his family might be
enabled to sign the procesmerbal to be subsequently
drawn up. The chapel having been cleared of all
but the two Princes Bonaparte, M. Rouher, and
the medical officers, the Baron Laney, the Baron
Corvisart, and Dr. Evans, the temporary coffin was
opened, and the mortal remains of the young scion of
the House of Bonaparte viewed by those who with the
exception of his dead father and widowed mother, had
during life been nearest and dearest to him. This
scene, 80 terrible to the assistants, lasted for a con-
siderable time, On opening the coffin it was found
that although decomposition of the corpse (which had
been embalmed) had not proceeded to any very great
extent, the features of the ill-starred young soldier
had undergone such serious change as to make
the work of recognition almost as difficult as
it was painful. Some of the features had
suffered terribly, but all doubt as to the identity
of the corpse with the deceased Prince was
set at rest by the peculiarity of his dentition. M.
Rouher, in a voice choking with emotion, declared
himself satisfied as to the identity of the body, and
the same opinion was expressed by many of those who
viewed it. Among these were the before mentioned
Princes of the Bonaparte family, Prince Murat,
General Fleury, M. Fleury, M. Connean, and
Uhlmann, the old personal servant of the Prince.
who carried the sword of his dead master, and fainted
away at the sight of the distorted features of one he
had loved so well and served so faithfully.

The painful work of identification being complete,
the body was transferred to a magnificent coffin of
violet-coloured velvet, with silver mountings, Mean-
while, a nine-pounder gun of the Royal Horse Artillery,
was in waiting, with gunners and drivers mounted.
The gun was limbered up, and above it was a plank
painted black, on which the coffin was to rest. An
enort of the Royal Horse Artillery was also in
readiness, and on a signal being given by
General Yonnghusband, the Bishop of South-
wark, Monsignor Goddard, and the other dig-
nitaries of the Roman Church present, entered
the mourning coaches prepared for their reception,
with black hammer-cloths, on which were visible
gigantic silver N's. When all was ready eight officers
of the Royal Artillery, some of whom had been cadets
with the late Prince, carried the coffin on their
shoulders to the gun, the muzzle of which was decked
with laurel wreaths, and &posited their burden. Once
more the flag was spread as a pall, and then as the
band of the Royal Artillery again played Beethoven's
Funeral March, the procession to Chislehrest set forth
with all the sad pomp and martial splendour which
accompany a soldier to his last long home,