The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-16 00:00:00

THE IMPERIAL FAMILY AT

CHISELHURST.
The Observer gives the following account of the celebra-
tion of the second anniversary of the death of the Emperor
Napoleon on Saturday (the 9th) at Chiselhurst
"The event was celebrated by the Imperial house-
hold with all due solemnity, but with a privacy in
accordance with the expressed wish of the Empress
Eugenie and the Prince Imperial. There was a con-
siderable gathering of Imperialists resident in Eng-
land; but the wish just stated being known in
France, there was not the notable assemblage of
the friends of the Empire from the other side of the
Channel that would otherwise have been present.
In the morning, at 10.30. Low mass was celebrated
at the high altar of the little chapel of St. Mary, at
Chiselhurst, by the Rev. J. Goddard, at which assisted
the Empress Eugenie, the Prince Imperial, and Prince
Lucien Bonaparte, the only other member of the Im-
perial family who was present, together with the
Duchesse de Mouchy, Madame Le Breton Bourbaki,
the Due de Bassano, the Marquis de Bassano, his son,
Count Clan, General Pajol, Baron Corvisart, M.
Pietri, and M. Filon. The chapel, which still retains
its Christmas decoration of evergreens and flowers,
was well filled with Imperial sympathizers, some of
whom, to judge from the medals and orders covering
their breasts must have fought and bled in a cause to
wbose future recent events have given a hopeful
augury. The Prince Imperial, who wore his
cadet's uniform, with the military insignia of
mourning a band of crape on the arm drove
over from Woolwich early in the morning, and,
with the Empress and the Imperial party in deep
black from Camdeuhouse, drove to the chapel. The
route was lined by a considerable number of spectators,
who evinced sympathy. During the celebration of
the Mass the Imperial party knelt in front of the altar,
and at its conclusion Father Goddard, retiring to the
sacristy, put on a black cope, and then, attended by
his ministers ; proceeded to the mortuary chapel,
where is deposited the massive red granite sarcophagus
i 'offered to the Empress Eugenie as a mark of affection-
ate sympathy' by Her Majesty. Standing at the head
;of the tomb, the celebrant pronounced the " absolu-
. tions," during which prayers were said, and the
scrcophagus was sprinkled with holy water and incensed.
At the end of this ceremony Father Goddard con-
ducted the Empress to the foot of the tomb, where
Her Imperial Majesty in turn sprinkled holy water,
and placed on the cover a splendid wreath of white
' flowers. The Prince Imperial also sprinkled the
tomb with holy water. After this ceremony the
Imperial family left the chapel by a side door, and re-
turned to Camden-house on foot. again receiving on
the way salutations both from English and French.
The Prince Imperial, who looked extremely well in
his cadet uniform, and who is growing stouter and
stronger in appearance, was met by a number of
friends as be left the chapel, and shook hands warmly
with several of them. Prince Lucien was also recog-
nized and congratulated by many of the French
visitors who had flocked to the church. Many splen-
did bouquets, some from France, and all made up of
white and purple flowers of the rarest kinds, were
deposited on the floor of the mortuary chapel and
around the tomb. At Camden-house, where many
sympathizing visitors left cards, the day was kept as
one of sorrowful seclusion."

The Correspondent of the Standai d, thus notices the Prince
Imperial :
As the Prince Imperil came out in the open air lie
was saluted by a crowd of friends and servitors of his
house, and met their salutations more than half way
with a warmth that had in it something of English
frankness and French affability. His Woolwich train-
ing is visibly bearing fruit in his improved physique;
he is daily growing sturdier, and has acquired the free
martial carriage of the soldier without losing that far-
off pensive outlook in the eyes, and refined, almost
feminine, graciousness of mien and movement, which
he inherits from his mother. But there can be
no fears of effeminacy now; the fragile stripling who
is destined, unless the fate of his race forswears itself,
to play a stirring part in European history, is rapidly
developing into robust manhood. It was easy to per-
ceive that those who paid court to him at Chiselhurst
on Saturday had borrowed new hope from a recent
event, and that the restoration in Spain was welcomed
as hastening the advent of another. "lie has all
his father's charm of manner," said one, in praise,
as he passed out of sight; and this was no trifling
eulogium, as all will admit who had the privilege of
acquaintance with the late Eniperor, and know what a
kindly suaviter in modo was his, and how he endeared
himself to all with whom he came in contact. "Ma
foi, oui !" interjected another in the group; "but
hasn't he a wrist of steel? He can handle a rapier, I
tell you—l had a bout of the foils with him the
other day, and he touched the button twice 1" The
general opinion, which one could not help overhearing
and which one may be excused for recording in view of
its possible bearing on
.a not very remote future, was
that the Prince Imperial was more likely to emulate the

_
mettle of the first than the second of his name—of him
who lies beneath a block of porphyry under the glitter-
ing dome of the Invalides than of him who is consigned
to oblivion in the gloomy vaults of the capuchit.ts in

, ty
I the New Market ofg Vienna. -"rdestre that my body
_ . . .

shall be laid to rest on the banks of the Seine in the
midst of the people I love so well," was a clause in the
will of Napoleon I, and more than a quarter of a
century later the wish was fulfilled, and his remains
were translated from St. Helena with all the pomp
and pageantry of a-national festival. That the third
Napoleon will not be dependent on English hospi-
tality for a grave for so long a period mir, p-,he uncon-
cealed idea of those who pressed round the mortuary
chapel at Chislehurst And, plucked the violets frcut
their buttonholes to lay them in pious remembrance
on the pros isional tomb of the Emperor.