In March 1879, Louis Napoléon, only son of Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie, travelled to Cape Town with British troops, as a “special observer”. The two months he spent there until his untimely death in an ambush by Zulu warriors on 1 June 1879, has been commemorated in South Africa by the creation of “La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon”, which was launched on 1 June 1996.
In May 2015 as part of « French week in PMB”, several events are being organised as part of the 19th anniversary of La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon, Wine tastings, exhibition tour, concert, requiem mass, , even a “Prince Imperial Fun Run” … (Full details here)
FULL PROGRAM AVAILABLE HERE (UPDATED on 15/05/2015)
and concert programme (Wednesday 27 May) HERE
Here is a selection of “Imperial” Events:
Sunday 24 May 2015
15h30
Prince Imperial Camellia Rendez-vous at Norwood, 6 Margaret Mc Fie Place.
Sunday 24 MAY 2015
15h30
Soirée Cheese & Wine
The Prince Imperial, Louis Napoléon visited Norwood, the former Hunting Lodge of the Governor of Natal, during his brief stay in Pietermaritzburg in April 1879. So struck by the beautiful camellia bushes on the property was the Prince, that he requested to be buried under one of them should he die in Zululand. He was not buried there, of course, but to respect this wish and to pay homage to the poor young Prince, Mrs Eastwood, the owner of the property, had a wreathe of white camellias laid on his coffin as it lay-in-state overnight on the 8 June 1879 in St Mary’s Chapel.
Monday 25 May 2015
10h30
Guided visit to the Prince Imperial exhibition at Voortrekker/Msunduzi Museum
Tuesday 26 May 2015
12h00
Déjeuner: haute cuisine à la française Traffords / Heritage House, Miller (“A la carte” at own cost).
Dégustation: wine tasting
A celebration of the ground-breaking French-styled wines, Empress Eugénie and The Prince Impérial, inspired by the Napoleonic legend and produced by Domaine des Dieux of the Himmel-en-Aarde Valley.
Wednesday 27 May 2015
13h10 – 13h50
Annual Prince Imperial lunch time concert “Allons enfants de la patrie…” Tatham Art Gallery.
Celebration of our French Collection in the Tatham Art Gallery, our gem in Pietermaritzburg
Wednesday 27 May 2015
18h00
Soirée Franco-Italienne to commemorate the Prince Imperial’s father’s (Napoleon III 1808 -1873) participation in the 1831 uprising in the Papal States and his grandfather, Louis (The King of Holland 1778 – 1846), Napoleon Bonaparte’s youngest brother who retired to Italy after the Waterloo debacle, at Pizzology, Victoria Rd, PMB.
Saturday 30 May 2015
9h30
15th annual requiem mass for the Prince Imperial, at St Mary’s Chapel, PMB (said in liaison with the requiem mass in the Imperial Chapel, Biarritz, France)
Performance; Michael Lambert – Schola Musicae Sanctae, Pietermaritzburg
12H00 :
Depart for Dundee along La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon
Sunday 31 May 2015
8h00
3rd PRINCE IMPERIAL FUN RUN – 10kms, Umvunyane area, ending at the Prince Imperial monument
Langue(s) : English