Supper offered by Emperor Napoleon III to Queen Victoria in the salle de l’Opéra, Château de Versailles, 25 August 1855

Queen Victoria's official visit to Paris, for the opening of the Universal Exhibition in 1855, confirmed the re-establishment of cordial and close relations between France and Britain. A new 'entente' had already begun during the reign of Louis-Philippe, who had invited Victoria to the Château d'Eu in 1843. This visit took on major significance, for it was the first visit of a British sovereign to French soil since the 16th century. Following the re-establishment of the empire, Victoria recognised the new regime and the rapprochement between the two countries resulted in their joint involvement in the Crimean War. Napoleon III was received with much pomp and circumstance in England during his visit between 16 and 21 April 1855 and, in return, Paris welcomed Victoria in a similar manner in August of the same year.
 
The Emperor Napoleon himself organised the programme of events for Victoria, Prince Albert and their children. Taking the palace at St. Cloud as their base, the monarchs visited museums, monuments, receptions and official ceremonies. These included three separate visits to the Universal Exhibition, as well as stops at the Louvre, Versailles, the Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame. Of her stay, probably the most important event, as Victoria noted in her journal, was the tour of Napoleon I's tomb at Les Invalides, which followed a military review at the Champ-de-Mars.
 
The queen was greatly enthused by the beauty of the French capital, and was equally impressed by the splendour of the Imperial Court. This was particularly evident at the supper organised in the Salle de l'Opéra at the Château de Versailles on 25 August. Victoria commented, again in her journal, that it was one of the most beautiful and majestic evenings that they had ever attended. A firework display and a ball in the Galerie des Glaces preceded the supper. The watercolour painting by Eugène Lami has preserved this beautifully-lit supper scene for posterity.
 
Lami was taught watercolour technique by the British painter Richard Parkes Bonington and had already dedicated two of his works to Victoria's visit to the Château d'Eu in 1843. In 1855, he was commissioned to produce a painting of the supper scene of 25 August, which would then form part of a souvenir album to be given to Victoria. Napoleon III also ordered a copy of the painting, which was put on display at the Salon in 1857 then, from 1860, at the Musée du Luxembourg.

Karine Huguenaud, with Emmanuelle Papot (Tr. & ed. H.D.W.)
 
November 2008