Evening star., 1940-12-26

'Eag|et's' |||-Starred
Career Recalled
By His ReburiaI
Only Son Of Napoleon
Was Helpless Pown
Of Politicians
While the recent transfer Of the
ashes of L'Aiglon Cthe Eaglet'D,
Napoleon Bonaparte's only son, from
Vienna to Paris has prompted
speculation to explain the Hitler
instigated act, the biography of the
Emperors ill-starred heir reveals
that the incident is surprisingly
consistent with his life's events,
which proved him the helpless
pawn Of Europe's politicians.
"L'Aiglon's remains were brought
to Paris on the Tooth anniversary of
the return of Napoleon's ashes from
St. Helena" points out a bulletin
from the National Geographic So
ciety.
Napoleon Francois Joseph Charles
Bonaparte Napoleon I'D, Duke Of
Reichstadt, was the son of Napoleon
Bonaparte and Marie Louise, arch
duchess of Austria, whom the En-
peror married in 1910 after the an
nulment of his marriage with jose
phine. Soon after his birth in Paris,
in the Tuileries palace, the infant
was given the title of King of Rome.
Great was the rejoicing in Paris,
as the Napoleonic dynasty seemed
finally to be established. But within
three years, after the disastrous
Russian campaign and the defeat
of the French at the Battle of Leip-
zig, Paris surrendered, Napoleon alb
dicated in April, 1914, and the en-
pire collapsed.
Boy King Never Ruled.
Napoleon abdicated in favor of
his son, but the Boy King of Rome
was never to rule. The French Sen
ate disregerded the young Napole-
on's claim, and called Louis XVIII,
the Bourbon heir, to the throne.
Marie Louise fled with her 3-year-
old infant to Schonbrunn palace,
near Vienna.
During the fateful hundred days
after Napoleon rs escape from Elba,
Bonpartist efforts to kidnap the
prince and take him to his father
in Paris failed. On the other hand,
although the powers, at the Con-
gress of Vienna, awarded the
Italian duchies of Parma, Piacenza
and Guastalla to Marie Louise and
her son, the royal court of Vienna
later informed the archduchess that
L'Aiglon could not succeed to her
new possessions. There is pathos
in the fact that after Waterloo,
Napoleon I proclaimed his son Ma
poleon II. But, although it suited
the convenience of certain political
groups in Austria and Italy to put
forward the youngsters claims on
occasion, he remained at Schon-
brunn at the court Of his grand
father, the Emperor Francis.
I'm 1918 the Emperor of Austria
created the boy Duke of Reichstadt
in compensation for the greater
titles he had to forego. And Ma
poleon 1 had once averred that he
would rather have his son strangled
than to see him brought up as an
Austrian prince, much less mere
duke!
Lad Was PrecOciOus.
although a virtual prisoner in
Vienna after 1915, L'Aiglon was
carefully educated. The boy was pre-
cocious, volatile and passionate. He
early showed a special interest in,
and aptitude for, military affairs.
Of sensitive nature, he was deeply
affected by the news of his fathers
death in 1921.
THE July revolution of 1880 in
France and the subsequent disturbed
conditions led many Frenchmen to
back young Napoleon II for the
throne, but Louis Philippe succeeded
to the kingship. Prince Metternich
of Austria, however, while shrewdly
batting the Bonapartists and foiling
the BourbonS, had no intention of
encouraging a Napoleonic revival.
L'Aiglon stayed in Vienna.
"In 1881, at the age OF 20, the
Duke of Reichstadt was made a
lieutenant colonel (having passed
through the subordinate ranks, and
took command of battalion of in
fantry. He took his military duties
with intense seriousness. But he
had grown tall and slender with
out proportional robustness. He
constantly exerted himself far be-
yond his endurance The consump-
tive tendencies which had early
shown themselves finally secured a
death grip on the unfortunate
Prince, and the Eaglet' passed away
on July %, 1882, at the age of 81.
The French dramatist, Edmond Ros-
tand. wrote a famous play called
"L'Aiglon," concerning the life OF
the Duke of Reichstadt."