ollectors of antique dolls, lady dolls in particular, are used to hearing certain examples referred to by the names of famous women in history. Upon hearing names such as Victoria, Sophia Smith and Mary Todd, collectors may envision a doll, rather than the fl esh and blood individual who once walked this earth and left her indelible mark in the process. One such person was Eugénie, empress of the French, and as you will soon discover, the mark she left is monumental.

ollectors of antique dolls, lady dolls in particular, are used to hearing certain examples referred to by the names of famous women in history. Upon hearing names such as Victoria, Sophia Smith and Mary Todd, collectors may envision a doll, rather than the fl esh and blood individual who once walked this earth and left her indelible mark in the

C

The Shadow ofA captivating portrait of the empress from Eugene Barrois, this view illustrates her lovely neck and shoulders. Fully marked E DEPOSE B upon the lower front edge of the shoulder plate, this early example features a combination leather and wood body fi tted with long, highly detailed, bisque arms.A wardrobe fi t for a Bonaparte Empress! Note the gown on the left – a fantastic creation in Eugénie’s favorite shade of butter yellow, and decorated with violets, a lasting insignia of the Bonaparte family.

18 WINTER 2010

By Michael CanadasThe Shadow of Her Smile

In The BeginningIn 1826, Granada, Spain, was a sleepy little town, but among its inhabitants lived a very handsome count

by the name of Don Cipriano de Guzman y Palafox y Portocarrero, Count of Teba. With fl aming red hair and an eye patch, he was a striking fi gure in Granada. At that point in time, he was living under house arrest, as he was a bonafi de Bonapartist who had fought in the French army and been wounded by an English musket ball in the battle of Trafalgar. Don Cipriano, like so many of his generation, had been loyal to Napoleon I until the end and had been among the last defenders of Paris in 1814. So, understandably, when he returned home to Spain, he was mistrusted by the Spanish king, Ferdinand VII. To make matters worse, Don Cipriano

DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG 19

was a liberal and believed in such things as Spain having a constitution. In 1817, however, the king, in spite of his mistrust, showed Don Cipriano great kindness by allowing him to marry a young woman that he had met while in Paris in 1813, when she had just completed fi nishing school.

Being half Scottish, one-quarter Spanish and one-quarter Belgian, the young woman was obviously not the blue blood Spaniard that Don Cipriano was, but she had one thing that he did not, money and lots of it. His bride’s father was a wine and fruit merchant, and then as now, Spain was one of Europe’s main suppliers of both. María Manuela Enriqueta Kirkpatrick de Closbourn y de Grevigné was a tall, black-haired, black-eyed beauty that most people liked instantly upon meeting. Doña Manuela, like her husband, idolized Napoleon I; unlike her husband, she harbored great social ambition. Soon, Doña Manuela, armed with her title Countess of Teba, lived in a social whirlwind. Interestingly, it was the friends with royal connections, whom she met through her socializing, who would ultimately save her husband’s life when Don Cipriano was involved in the Spanish uprising of 1820. Most who participated in the uprising were hanged, shot, or hacked into fours, but for Don Cipriano, his wife’s charm saved his life. Probably her money helped, as well.

Since Don Cipriano was the younger of two counts in his family, his older brother had sometime before inherited the family estate and wealth. When that older brother died with no legal heir, the couple’s life changed drastically. They were now the Count and Countess Montijo and subsequently moved to the vast family estate in Madrid, where in time the couple was blessed with the births of two daughters. The fi rst daughter, Paca, was born January 29, 1825, in a relatively routine manner, but her sister’s birth, May 5, 1826, was another matter entirely. The day was dry and calm when an earthquake shook Granada. Doña Manuela, sensing that the small tremors might lead to something of a greater magnitude, had a tent set up in the garden. Her premonition was realized a bit later when the big quake came, causing her to go into labor. There in a tent in the garden, the baby girl was born prematurely; Doña Manuela found consolation in the fact that her second child was born on the anniversary of the death of her great idol, Napoleon I. The next day, the baby was christened Eugénie, for her uncle, the once-head of the family–a great gesture of reconciliation between two brothers, one living and one passed away.

Above Leon Casimir Bru capitalized on the popular empress of the French, when he created this stunning life-size mannequin head and shoulders. One of only two originals known to have survived, it is believed that they were used by posh boutiques to display jewels, or perhaps even hairstyles.

Right and Opposite From Leverd et Cie., one of the rarest poupee parisienne models of Eugénie is also one of the most innovative of the portrait dolls. Details include a noble visage, and a realistic hairline achieved by inserting hairs into a wax pate, so the hair appears to grow out of the bisque. Julie Blewis Collection

20 WINTER 2010

DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG 21

In Spain, it is believed that a child born during an earthquake is destined for greatness. However, little Eugénie grew up feeling the resentment that the terror and pain of her birth had caused her mother. As if that were not enough, her mother made no bones about favoring Eugénie’s older sister, Paca. Yet this did not affect the sisters’ feelings toward one another, and it has been said that Eugénie loved her sister completely, with a bond that could never be broken, not even by their own mother.

As a girl, Eugénie once had her fortune told by a gypsy: “You will one day wear Europe’s most dazzling crown and will live to be one-hundred years old.” While, to a little Spanish girl, the fortune offered much to look forward to, a fortune teller, as gifted as she might be, cannot share with you the reach and breadth of your destiny.

A variation of Eugénie is evidenced by this Barrois portrait model with classic and lovely pale bisque, cobalt blue eyes and a hint of a smile. Patricia Gosh Collection

Some of the greatest fashion doll faces have come from the mind of Alexandre Dehors. One of his earliest dolls is this bisque shoulderhead model, a raven haired Eugénie that is mounted on a wood articulated body and dressed in “Eugénie blue”.

The Count and Countess Montijo were unique individuals for their time and country in that they expected their daughters to be

well-versed in politics, history and current events. Simply put, Eugénie’s parents believed in education for girls. Their mother could speak several languages, and she expected her daughters to be able to also; their father wanted his

daughters to learn frugality, so there were no silk dresses for them! Their parents believed that charity began at home, and over the years, they took two orphan boys into their household as their own sons. Eugénie perfected the art of riding

through play with one of the boys. As Eugénie reached her tenth year, she

and her sister Paca were sent to Sacré Cœur, a convent school in Paris. Both of her parents loved the city completely, and Doña Manuela decided to accompany the girls; at the time, the

Becoming An Empress

22 WINTER 2010

Montijo marriage was feeling a strain, most likely due to problems associated with the countess’ voracious social ambition.

Eugénie wrote to her father regularly.“You know dear Papa, it is quite impossible to live in Paris.

They are always trying to kill the king. The other day, they set off an explosion and the soldiers thought it was another revolution. I am longing to kiss you Papa and see the other side of the Pyrenees. My heart will not have enough room for its joy…”

The girls didn’t stay long in Paris. They were soon removed from their convent school and sent to a boarding school in Clifton, near Bristol, England. The change in environment proved to be an experience that Eugénie would not want to remember. Tall for her age with bright red hair, Eugénie felt tormented when the other girls called her “carrots.” The sisters complained to their father that there were no amusements at the school and the people were unfriendly. Eugénie did make at least one friend, however; an Indian girl became her confi dante. One day the two sneaked away from school and were only discovered just before they made their escape on a ship destined for India!

July of 1837 found Eugénie back attending a school in Paris. The time spent in French convent schools allowed the girls to not only master the French language, but also explore the then medieval city of Paris.

In 1839, the sudden death of Eugénie’s beloved father, Don Cipriano, marked the end of her childhood, when at thirteen years of age she stood at his grave. Eugénie loved her father with all the ardor of her nature: he gave her life, a sense of freedom and values, and even her spirit of adventure.

After the death of her husband, Doña Manuela became a dutiful, though far from affectionate, mother to Eugénie, who felt her mother was always more than happy to point out her inadequacies. It was not a happy time in her young life; Eugénie wrote to a friend in 1840: “The girls in Madrid are so stupid. They only talk about their clothing unless there is some scandal about each other.” The letter went on to say that she had heard that the remains of Napoleon I were to be brought back to Paris, and that she wished she could be there for the ceremony, thus revealing that she had inherited from both of her parents an infatuation with the great leader.

By the time Eugénie was seventeen, she was a breathtaking beauty, over-excitable and a problem for her mother–just like most teenagers. In 1842, Eugénie fell madly in love with one of Spain’s most eligible bachelors, the 15th Duke of Alba. Did he feel the same love for her? We will never know, for it would be her sister Paca who would, through marriage, become the Duchess of Alba. Dona Manuela had arranged for her favorite daughter to marry the duke and assume one of the most prestigious titles in all of Spain. The duke and duchess resided in one of Spain’s greatest homes, which was, incidentally, fi lled to the rafters with some of the most treasured works of art in the world. The marriage of her daughter Paca fi nally elevated the Countess Montijo

Empress Eugénie was immortalized for all time by the Smiling Bru. There are many body types that are suitable for this head model, but this doll has the classic leather body with the exceptionally beautiful bisque hands for which Bru became so well known.

Although few examples were made of this rare model, which features a fl anged neck, it is unmistakably a portrait of Eugénie. On an articulated wood body, she is yet another great fashion lady from Eugene Barrois. Sharon Lindsay Collection

DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG 23

to the social status that she had worked her entire life to attain. Eugénie’s reaction to the personally devastating news tells us much about her character: she expressed her support for the couple, and her love for her sister never waned. Although dazzling, the Alba crown was not the most brilliant in all of Europe. Remember, if the fortune teller of Eugénie’s youth was to be accurate, destiny had something greater waiting just around the corner for Eugénie.

With Paca now successfully married, the Countess Montijo set off to fi nd the proper husband for her second daughter. On the heels of yet another disastrous love affair for Eugénie, which nearly killed the young thing, her mother whisked the beautiful Countess of Teba, as Eugénie was then known, off to Paris.

Doña Manuela had kept up with all of her friendships from her old days in Paris and did her best to become reacquainted with them so as to marry off her remaining daughter. Frankly, at age twenty-three, Eugénie was starting to lose her bloom, but she did have one thing that was in short supply in Paris, her virtue.

The Paris that Eugénie and her mother returned to was a different city than either of them had known previously. The old King Louis Philippe was out. In his place was the new, young, unmarried president of the French Republic, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, who was not only the nephew of Napoleon I, but his step-grandson to boot! For mother and daughter, obsessive fans of Napoleon I, what city on earth could have been more exciting? Before long, the two ladies from Spain had an invitation to a social event in one of the most infl uential homes in all of France. The president’s fi rst cousin, Princess Mathilde Bonaparte Demidoff, was at the time the acting fi rst lady of France. Mathilde was instantly charmed by Eugénie and soon introduced her to the president at a subsequent ball. The president was widely known to

A rare, early, profi le of the young Eugénie at the beginning of her journey as empress, it is interesting to compare this image with that of her doll portraits.

Whoever sculpted the head of this stunning model must have been working from one of the many portraits of the empress, which were commonly found throughout Paris in her day. From Leverd et Cie., this is simply a fantastic Eugénie complete with the amazing shaped hairline the fi rm is well known for creating. Countess Maree Tarnowska Collection

Winterhalter portrait of Napoleon III, Emperor of France.

24 WINTER 2010

The most commercially successful of all Empress Eugénie models is undoubtedly the Smiling Bru. Each size takes on a slightly different look based on fi nishing in the green-ware stage, painting and of course, the setting of the eyes. Pat Boldt Collection (bride), Helen Thomas Collection (brown hat) and Denise Buese Collection (tan/purple).

always be on the lookout for his latest conquest; the fact that the young, beautiful Spanish countess wasn’t that kind of girl made her all the more alluring to him.

Continuing on the hunt for a husband, mother and daughter traveled together all over Europe and England. When they returned to Paris, yet again, a different atmosphere seemed to pervade the city. To simplify, a tour of France by the president resulted in a complete political triumph, and on December 2, 1852, which was the forty-eighth anniversary of the coronation of Napoleon I, the president, in a coup d’etat, became Emperor Napoleon III of France. The empire was restored, and a great era in French history was just beginning.

Of course, every great emperor needs an empress, so Napoleon III and his government set out to fi nd him one. Not surprising, perhaps due to his philandering ways, the emperor’s proposals were turned down by all available princesses, who considered the offer undesirable and not to be taken seriously. Rebuffed, the emperor lowered his sights and decided to marry for love. He had not forgotten the young and beautiful Eugénie,

DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG 25

Countess of Teba, so in a fi rst step at courtship, she was invited to dinner. Upon her arrival, Eugénie discovered that she was the only guest. Though young and a bit timid, she would have none of that and promptly left in a huff! The emperor next invited Eugénie to the Château de Compiègne, but with her mother in tow. It wasn’t until the emperor saw Eugénie on a horse, however, that he truly appreciated what a magnifi cent woman she was, and he inquired of her, “What is the road to your heart? I demand to know!” Eugénie replied, “The road to my heart goes through the chapel, sir.”

Louis Napoleon had been captured in a spell and was to soon fall completely in love with Eugénie. In a letter from Louis Napoleon to her mother, one can easily sense the emperor’s admiration for Eugénie:

“Madame la Comtesse, I have loved your daughter and wished to marry her for some time. I have therefore come today to ask for her hand, for nobody is more capable of contributing to my happiness or more worthy of wearing a crown. If you give your consent, I would ask that you not mention the project until we have made all arrangements. Please receive, Madame la Comtesse, the assurance of my feelings of sincere friendship, Napoleon.”

It seems Eugénie’s fortune teller was spot on. The little Spanish girl would indeed wear the most dazzling crown in Europe–the crown of France.

First, however, the Emperor had to sell the idea to his senate, which he did in an oration of defi ance and hope:

“She whom I have chosen is of a lofty birth. French by education, and by the memory of her father’s bloodshed in the cause of the Empire, she has the advantage of being a Spaniard, of having no family in France to whom the honors and dignities must be given. Endowed with every quality of mind, she will be an ornament to the throne and in hour of danger, one of its bravest defenders. A devout Catholic, she will unite her prayers to heaven for the welfare of France with mine. Gracious and good, she will, I do not doubt, revive the virtues of her predecessor, the Empress Josephine.

So gentlemen, I am here to say to France: I prefer a woman whom I love and respect to an alliance with an unknown lady who would have brought advantages, not unmixed with sacrifi ces, in putting an independent heart and happiness above dynastic prejudice or calculating ambition, I shall not be less stronger for being more free. Soon I shall go to Notre-Dame to present the Empress to the people and the army. Their confi dence in me will assure their sympathy for her whom I have chosen; you gentlemen, who have come to know her, will be convinced that on this occasion also, I have been inspired by providence.”

The wedding at Notre-Dome in 1853 was a glittering affair with most of the crown heads of Europe not in attendance. On the subject of crowns, if you recall, the fortune teller of Eugénie’s childhood promised her a dazzling one. The citizens of Paris, the working people, started a fund and raised 600,000 francs to purchase their young new empress a tiara

as a wedding gift. Eugénie, however, declined the offer of a tiara, instead accepting the money to open Europe’s fi rst women’s shelter. The empress would go on to open an orphanage, as well as to support many other projects. Soon, the emperor and the twenty-six-year-old empress were to transform Paris into the center of all of Europe.

Eugénie’s beloved father had taught her from childhood, “from those who much is given – much is expected.” Taking her father’s lessons to heart, the young empress would venture out most mornings in an unmarked carriage to witness, fi rsthand, the exact needs of her people. As the grand-daughter of a merchant, she managed most of her charitable works with the skill of a successful businessman. Provided 1.2 million francs as her annual government

allowance, Eugénie spent only 100,000 of the budget on her clothing and the rest on her good deeds–and she was known to keep her books to the penny.

Was it during these carriage rides through the city’s medieval slums that Eugénie garnered new ideas for the redeveloped Paris which was in the works? Several factors made this idea of a grand renovation of the city an excellent one. At that time, the river Seine, the lifeblood of the city, ran dry every summer, turning from a viable source into a series of stagnant pools of water. Diseases from mosquitoes, such as malaria, in addition to cholera, reached epidemic proportions. Also keep in mind, with very few open spaces in the city, working citizens had no place to congregate on their days free from work, except in drinking establishments. The emperor and

empress had both traveled and lived abroad. They were aware of the great public parks in England and elsewhere, where the public could gather and take in leisure activities. Finally, the royal couple was all too aware that Paris, in its medieval

slum state, was not manageable from a military point of view.

Georges E. Haussmann, a visionary master architect, was hired by Napoleon III on 22 June, 1852 to “modernize”

Paris. His designs called for the complete demolition of the heart of Paris to be replaced

by a thoroughly modern city. As early as 1852, plans had been drawn up to completely rebuild

over 250,000 structures in the city. Buildings were torn down over an eighteen-year period. The creation of

a gigantic new sewer system, wide boulevards offering broad that on this occasion also, I have been inspired by providence.”

26 WINTER 2010

views of the city’s landmarks, a new importance on trains, and fantastic public parks for the citizens to enjoy were all part of the plans. Because both the Bonaparte and the Montijo families were natural born business people, the emperor and empress were aware of the positive result that rebuilding Paris would have on the country’s economy. As a whole new Paris emerged, entrepreneurs were provided incredible opportunities. Among those entrepreneurs were doll makers: over two hundred doll-making establishments were born during this period of transition. I strongly believe that in nearly all of the doll makers’ and merchants’ inventories could be found a doll version of Empress Eugénie. Do we know whether the empress ever saw the dolls made in her likeness? Absolutely she did, because it was Eugénie who personally presented the medals to the honored exhibitors at the Exposition Universelle in the years 1855 and 1868. The empress would have obviously viewed the doll display of Maison Guillard, the gold medal winner in 1855, which stood next to the display of Maison Huret, which received a bronze medal that same year.

The pinnacle of artistic and fi nancial success for these doll artisans was reached during these years and would not have been possible without the Hausmann plan and the loans that were made available at low rates during the city’s renaissance.

A major fi nancial power during the reign of Napoleon III, France could credit its success to the emperor’s motto: “One can only build some thing solid and lasting on a new foundation.”

In great and successful eras, one lady always seems to set the tone for the rest of country, or in the case of the empress of France, the rest of the world. Christened “the muse of France,” was Empress Eugénie consumed with fashion? We can speculate, but I do not believe that was the case. Setting a standard and appearing in appropriate fashion was part of the responsibility of her position, and the benefi t of her fashionable taste was the fact that she helped to sell French goods.

Eugénie’s fashion consciousness became much more developed after she was introduced to Princess Pauline von Metternich, the newly arrived wife of the Ambassador of Austria. Pauline was blessed with a wonderful fi gure, but unfortunately had simian features. Although Eugénie loved to be around attractive people, she made an exception for Princess von Metternich, who was fun and made the empress laugh. At one reception, Eugénie remarked on a stunning gown Pauline was wearing and inquired of her who was responsible for its creation. “Worth, a rising star,” the princess answered. Eugénie replied, “All stars must have a satellite. Have him come tomorrow at 10

Above Baron Haussmann presenting the royal couple and dignitaries with plans for the new Louvre.

Below I consider this bronze medal one of the most unusual pieces in the world of doll collecting. Presented in1855 to Calixte Huret at the Exposition Universelle, it has recently become infi nitely more important to me, especially after I learned it was presented to the honorees, in person, by Eugénie, the Empress of France. Surely the highlight of the Huret sisters’ career in dolls, the medal is a rare artifact that I now treasure more than ever.

DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG 27

o’clock to meet with me at the Tuileries.” With that meeting, Charles Fredrick Worth, an Englishman who designed clothing in Paris, instantly became the most prestigious name in the world of fashion. The empress loved Worth’s dresses and ensembles, because they did not require much time for fi tting. Not only had Maison Worth perfected the art of cutting and fi t, but the fi rm could also create something on short notice. Reportedly, Worth once created a gown for Eugénie in three hours! While the truth of this report is doubtful, a true professional always anticipates the needs of his clients, and I believe that was most likely the case in that instance. It has been reported that during one meeting, Worth showed Eugénie some patterned brocade from Lyon, to which she reacted negatively, proclaiming that the sample looked like drapery material! Worth, in his reply, diplomatically pointed out that silk weavers in Lyon were Republicans and that her wearing their silk would ease some of the political tensions between their political party and her own. Eugénie relented, wore a Worth creation of beige Lyonnaise silk brocade and almost overnight, 125,000 looms were put to work.

It is true that Eugénie never wore the same dress twice. Further, she changed her clothing three times per day, and her cast offs were given to her ladies in waiting, who in turn also wore them once, and then sold the pieces. The empress of France’s clothing has been sprinkled, therefore, all over Paris and the world!

At one ball, the empress received an American guest, and while commenting on the lady’s lovely gown, which was not a Worth creation, Eugénie playfully informed her, “Worth and I rule Paris.” Her statement was not boastful, it was completely true. Worth and Eugénie together plotted all of the major fashions of their time, from keeping the hoop skirt popular longer than it should have been, to its overnight disappearance, to the lengths of skirts in general, to the appearance of the bustle. The two even dictated the latest color trends.

Worth and his wife were invited to many social events during the Second Empire, and the empress of France always made a point of greeting them and making a fuss over the merchant of elegance. In his day, Worth was referred to as “the king of fashion”; the empress, then, was the king-maker. Upon Worth’s death in 1895, the empress said, “He was my friend in my time of great prosperity and my friend in my despair.” Eugénie’s name will forever be linked to the House of Worth and to the French fashion industry she helped to create.

There is a very old Spanish saying: “The pearls a bride wears on her wedding day represent the tears that come later.” Unfortunately for Eugénie, on her own wedding day, she was covered in Bonaparte pearls. The emperor once remarked to a relative that he had been faithful to Eugénie for the fi rst six months of their marriage. His list of lovers is long and legendary, though he insisted that he was never the pursuer in his conquests, but the pursued. This admission naturally caused the empress much distress, and one day she wearily asked one of her courtiers, “Was there anyone one in the court with which the emperor had not had

a secret tryst?”Eugénie never took a lover and

simply behaved as was expected of a lady. She also remained respected by the public for never disgracing her marriage vows, no matter how much embarrassment she suffered by her husband’s actions.

Finally in 1856, after two tragic miscarriages, Eugénie gave birth to a boy. At one point during the very

diffi cult delivery, doctors asked the emperor whether they should save his child or his wife? The emperor chose his wife’s life that day, but fortunately the choice did not end in tragedy, when Eugene Louis Jean Joseph Napoleon, or Louis (Lou-lou to his family), the prince imperial, entered the world. The boy became the center of Eugénie’s life, and she raised him to be an outstanding and likable boy, who was loved by all in his family.

Doctors recommended against any more children for Eugénie, as giving birth to another child would surely end in death for her. She had succeeded in giving France an heir, and when faced by the distressing dimension of her married

life, she would have to turn the other cheek as far as her husband’s affairs were concerned. Eugénie chose to swallow her pride no matter how tormented by jealousy she became, choosing instead to quiet her mind by refurbishing the royal residences, including the Palais des Tuileries.

It was that palace to which Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made a state visit. Victoria had, in advance, created a list of all the art she wished to view at the Louvre. Eugénie, therefore, had the art relocated and temporarily installed in the Tuileries so that the English queen could enjoy it at her leisure in complete privacy. It is written that Victoria considered that state visit to Paris one of the highlights of her young life, and between queen and empress was born a sisterhood that would

Eugénie is resplendent in Bonaparte pearls and a hairstyle Español, circa 1854.

Franz Xavier Winterhalter’s lovely portrait of Eugénie, complete with magnifi cent pearls and an ermine wrap.

Wife And Mother

28 WINTER 2010

last both of their long lives. As an interesting aside, the public in general was quite supportive of the empress’ projects relating to art and its acquisition, and in a mere eighteen years, both the Louvre collection and the building itself grew four times in size.

Through her acquisition of art objects, Empress Eugénie became an expert in French history. As a result, she was instrumental in the revival of both the Empire and the Louis XVI styles, and she became particularly interested in the life of Marie Antoinette. Eugénie, a foreign-born monarch like Marie Antoinette, no doubt identifi ed with the fallen Austrian princess. This interest led to the amassing of a major collection of the former queen’s personal effects.

To commemorate the birth of the Imperial Prince, this exquisite cradle was created as a souvenir candy box for the most discriminating boutiques, perhaps one of the many suppliers to the royal household itself. It always gives me a special thrill to read the words “Suppliers to the Imperial Prince” on a French boutique label.

Eugénie with her beloved son Lou-lou, in both a pose and gown that is so very similar to one her predecessor Marie Antoinette chose to wear in a portrait of the ill-fated family.

Wife And Mother

DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG 29

In January 1858, events unfolded that showed the French people exactly what their empress was made of. The account begins with a delivery from the House of Worth of a butter yellow gown (Eugénie’s favorite color), which the empress proclaimed a masterpiece. Eugénie chose to wear this triumph of a gown at a gala opera performance at Rue Le Peletier. Picture, if you will, the complete pageantry of a full military escort, including handsome lancers protecting the imperial carriage with its elegantly attired royal passengers inside. As this procession reached the opera house, a bomb exploded nearby, immediately extinguishing all of the gas lighting, which illuminated the street, and bringing the caravan to a halt. Then there was another powerful explosion in the blackness, and the terrifi ed screams of the onlookers resonated through the cobblestone streets, echoing over and over against the surrounding stone edifi ces. As the doors of the carriage fl ew open, inside a courageous Eugénie was relieved to see her own secret police, who instantly pulled the emperor and her out of the carriage and, with those actions, abruptly into a hellish scene. It is possible that Eugénie’s courage was buoyed at that moment by a sort of macabre relief that it was not assassins with daggers who had fl ung open the carriage doors, but her own men, for Eugénie had always harbored an intense fear of being stabbed in the street.

It is reported that, upon taking in the nightmare that surrounded them, Eugénie said to her guards, “Do not bother with us, take care of the others. This is all part of our profession.” The emperor, on the other hand, although uninjured, was quite shaken and suggested returning to the safety of the palace. Eugénie retorted, “Do not be ridiculous, I want the people to see what they have done!” (A similar statement you may recall would be uttered by our own fi rst lady, and scholar of French history, Jacqueline Kennedy, just over one hundred years later.)

The beloved son, and the center of Eugénie’s life, in a rare painting of the toddler with family and cabinet members.

Napoleon III may have been a philanderer, but his love for his son was complete. Both he and the empress were completely devoted parents, but not smothering, in the care of their only child.

A Sèvres biscuit plaque, illustrating a silhouette of the Imperial Prince – a rare, and sentimental piece for the collector of French porcelain.

Opposite The classic smile is readily evident on the face of this Leon Casimir Bru who boasts a wooden body. As a tribute, the doll has been dressed for a costume ball that Eugénie actually attended, where she was attired as a lady in the court of Louis XVI, complete with a period hairstyle. Created from the tender fragments of an original Charles Fredrick Worth gown, the dress lives on in miniature!

Inset Captured for eternity in her fancy dress gown, Winterhalter painted this image of Eugénie in1854. This work now hangs in our own Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

With that, Eugénie, and her former masterpiece of a gown, now littered with shards of broken glass, blood stains and bits of brain matter, entered the opera house followed by the emperor. The audience already inside were stunned not only by the violence of which they had learned, but also with the bruised and bloody appearance of their emperor and empress. As testimony to her courage, the empress never once lost her composure during the standing ovation the couple received as they took their seats.

Upon returning to the safety of their home later that evening, and in sight of their sleeping child, they took their private moment.

In the end, ten people were killed and one hundred forty were seriously wounded. The unsuccessful assassination attempt

An Empress Of Substance

30 WINTER 2010

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was a turning point not only in the history of the Second Empire, but also for the government. The empress’ fearlessness in the face of danger and the fact that she was her husband’s closest confi dante in all matters resulted in the decision to appoint Eugénie as regent, to act in his stead, should the emperor be assassinated, gravely ill, or away on military campaigns. Such was the emperor’s belief in his wife’s capabilities. With that decision, the stage was set for Eugénie to possibly function as the most powerful woman in the world, and she did, in fact, assume the duties of regent in 1859, 1865 and 1870.

The nineteenth century was a time of great empire building, and France was no different from England and America in its constant quest for expansion. With America fully involved in civil war in the 1860’s, the supply of cotton to France was suddenly cut off. On the advice of the royal couple’s trusted dentist, Dr. Thomas W. Evans (an American living in France), who the emperor had sent to meet with President Lincoln, France decided to stay out of America’s civil war. Instead, sights were set on Mexico, whose rich lands could supply France with the much-needed cotton. Perhaps, the plan was also driven by the idea that because Eugénie was a Spaniard, she would feel pride in regaining and then presiding over territory that had once belonged to her native Spain.

The fi rst order was to enlist a couple willing to be the emperor and empress of Mexico, and to face the harsh realities that might greet them upon taking their positions in a world away from their own. Napoleon III found such a couple in the Austrian prince Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian and his wife, Archduchess Maria Charlotte, who became Emperor Maximillian and Empress Carlota. (The selection of an Austrian to accompany an invasion of French soldiers to Mexico might seem a bit strange, but it was rumored that Maximillian was illegitimately fathered by Napoleon II, which made him the cousin of Napoleon III.)

Largely due to a severe lack of troops but also because the act was an unwelcome invasion of Mexico by France, the attempt at expansion ended tragically when the army was defeated by General Benito Juarez. Maxmillian was executed and his widow descended into madness.

Frankly, the blame for this entire disaster with Mexico was

placed at the feet of the empress, for it was believed to be her pet project, designed to keep her mind off the emperor’s philandering, and there is probably some truth to this belief. As the 1860’s were coming to a close, the emperor’s health was in steep decline; he was diagnosed with severe gall stones, coupled with what was most likely an early case of prostate cancer.

In1868 France hosted another Exposition Universelle. The world was dazzled by the

exhibition, and all of the heads of Europe were in attendance, in spite of growing tensions throughout the continent. A menace lurked just a round the corner, and he was a guest at the party. Otto von Bismarck, the Chancellor of the North German Confederation, planned to draw France into what would turn out to be a disastrous war for the country. “The only way to unify the kingdoms of Germany into one super power,” declared Bismarck, “is to go to war with France.” With that, everything possible was done to force France to the point of declaring war on Prussia. This decision to go to war did not come easily for the Napoleon III. He was seriously ill, too ill even to mount a horse. Nevertheless, he courageously found a way to lead his army to battle: he took a railroad car to meet his men wherever he was needed. In the end, the French army was no match for the might of the Prussian army.

At the moment when all seemed lost, the emperor managed to mount a horse and bravely ride to the front line to await his fate. He sat astride his horse smoking his cigarettes while brave and patriotic French soldiers all around him were massacred; the emperor would fi nd no such relief, so to save his remaining men, he raised the white fl ag and surrendered. With this act, the Battle of Sedan in 1870 marked a defeat even more bitter than Waterloo. The loss delivered France into the hands of Prussia, and mighty Germany was born. Their fear that the biggest threats to humanity were a unifi ed Germany and a too powerful Russia was one the emperor and empress would now be forced to face.

That day on the battlefi eld, while the Emperor emperor surrendered his army and himself, he could not surrender the country of France, because he was not technically the regent ruler at that moment, due to his earlier provisions.

As head of the country, Eugénie governed from the Tuileries while hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst. She possessed the insight to have all of the treasures from the great museums removed into to hiding places. The crown jewels were all put into safekeeping, but she arranged to have her personal jewels smuggled into England in a diplomatic bag. As it became clearer that all was lost, Eugénie showed great

A stunning work from Franz Xavier Winterhalter is this scene of the Empress of France with her Maids of Honor, circa 1855. Please take note that this monumental painting is in fact life size!

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courage in doing everything she could to save France. In his planning, Bismarck had not discounted one additional army--the French people, the citizens of Paris, who would eventually turn on their own government. To her credit, Eugénie knew French history very well and was keenly aware of this eventuality. When it became evident that the empress’ one hundred sixty guards could not protect her, her cabinet, or her ladies, and because she did not wish for them the same slaughter that befell the Swiss Guards of her predecessor Marie Antoinette, she released them.

Eugénie asked that not a shot be fi red, and with that, she fl ed her home of eighteen years, a home in which a major portion of her life had been lived. She headed to a secret passageway that led to the Louvre. Accompanied by one faithful lady (who almost forgot the last of the empress’ jewels, but at the last moment wrapped them up in the daily newspaper) and two loyal male members of the staff, Eugénie wandered through the maze of corridors and eventually came to a dead end, a locked door. Out of nowhere, as if an incarnation, a director appeared with keys and unlocked the door that would lead her and her to party to the street and, hopefully, to freedom. Eugénie

I have heard it said, “presentation is everything.” What better way to offer a sweet candy treat to a doll collector friend, than with this fashion doll by Alexandre Dehors? Complete with lovely bisque legs attached to a wooden base, the doll is dressed in silk and ermine and topped off by jewels fi t for Eugénie herself.

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immediately discharged the men, wisely advising them to remove their uniforms for their own safety. She, along with her lady and the cash equivalent of fi fty francs (a pittance), said their goodbyes to those who had aided their escape. The two women managed to walk through the bloodthirsty mob and fi nd a taxi. Eugénie would later tell of how, from the windows of that taxi, as the driver navigated his way along the boulevards of Paris, she witnessed shopkeepers removing their royal warrants from their doorways and shop fronts, causing the empress to remark, “They do not waste much time.”

But where to go? Not necessarily aware of the addresses of many of her loyal friends and before the paltry sum of money ran out, Eugénie fortunately remembered Evans, her American dentist. Evans had spent that day preparing the American hospital for incoming troops, and when he returned home, waiting for him in his salon were two mysterious ladies. What a shock it must have been for him when one of the ladies lifted her veil, and he came face to face with the empress. “I have come to you for protection and assistance,” she told him. “You see I am no longer fortunate,” she continued, as her eyes fi lled with tears. “The evil days have come and I am alone.”

Eugénie asked the doctor if he would help her escape to England, and he agreed to assist in any way that he was able. In the face of extreme danger, Evans arranged to disguise Eugénie as an English invalid and planned to accompany her to Deauville. The doctor was quite impressed by the empress’ calmness along the way, and the trio fi nally made it to the French port city, where they met an English nobleman who was willing to take them across the channel on his yacht.

The party left Deauville under the cover of darkness and set off upon rough seas. A brewing storm hit the English Channel with full force shortly after their departure, and at one point they thought the ship would go down, sending them all to a watery grave.

Remember, at this point in time, the empress did not know whether her husband or her son was alive, and if the ship went down in the channel with her on board, no one in the world would ever know her fate. At that moment of deep despair, Eugénie felt that there was not a more welcome grave, but that was not to be.

The nearly destroyed ship limped into Ryde harbor at 4:00 am later that same day; the passengers were greeted with the terrible news that the HMS Captain, a ship that was also traveling in the channel that fateful night, had gone down with 500 offi cers and crew–all lost at sea.

The best hotel in the town refused to take in such shabby looking people traveling with no luggage, but Eugénie’s party fi nally found an inn that would accept them, after much hesitation on the part of the innkeeper. The empress was given a tiny room at the top of the stairs, and after sitting numbly for two hours, she noticed a bible on the table near her. She opened the book to the words “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down

in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters…” As she read these words the door to her room fl ew open to reveal Evans, who shared with Eugénie the news that her son, the prince imperial, not only was alive and well, but had also landed in England that very day!

Soon, Eugénie and her beloved son were reunited, and arrangements were made for them to move together to Camden Place, at Chislehurst, in Kent. Surprisingly, most of the empress’ former staff from the Tuileries (by then burned to a stone shell), from the footmen to the chef, found their way to Camden Place. In an act that speaks volumes to Eugénie’s character, the staff would remain with her until the end, such was their devotion to her.

News soon arrived that the emperor was also alive and, coincidentally, being held captive in a castle that once belonged to one of his uncles. Though Eugénie and Napoleon’s marriage had been tested by fi re, in one of her letters to the emperor, she wrote:

“You and Louis mean everything to me. You take the place of my family and country. France’s misfortunes move me to the depths of my soul, yet for one moment I do not miss the brilliances of our past life. Simply to be together again is all I wish for. My poor cher ami.”

The emperor was eventually released from prison and joined his wife and son, resulting in what was the happiest time of their married life. The prince attended military school and for the fi rst time in his life, he was able to go out in public and live like a normal young man.

Eugénie enjoyed many visitors, including her “sister,” Queen Victoria, and their friendship would only grow stronger as the years went by–a sisterhood that helped strengthen French/English relations into the alliance that exists to this very day.

Eugénie was still technically the regent of France, whether the new government accepted her or not, but could do little to help the situation in her former land. Horrifi ed at the despicable treatment of French prisoners of war at the hands of the Prussians, the emperor did all he could to help by sending clothing and every other article imaginable.

Sitting on the shores of France looking towards England, Eugénie probably had no idea that the island across the channel would someday be her refuge.

After The Empire

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A sale of part of Eugénie’s jewel collection, combined with her income from Spain and inheritances from the emperor’s family, allowed them to live securely fi nancially, but the health problems that had plagued the emperor fi nally caught up with him. He underwent two operations and then took a turn for the worse. As he lay dying, he was heard to mutter repeatedly, “Were we cowards at Sedan…were we cowards at Sedan?” Eugénie whispered her answer to him over and over again at each question: “C’est impossible.” Then he died in her arms. Eugénie forgave her husband for all of the past sorrows he had caused her, as that is what her faith told her to do. At the end of the day there was ever only one side that the empress was on: the emperor’s.

In 1874, Louis, the prince imperial, became of age on his eighteenth birthday. Six thousand people came to wish him well with shouts of “Vive Napoleon IV.” The young man showed humility and restraint by asking the crowd to shout “Vive France” instead, but in his heart he knew that, should the country of his birth need him, he would serve. Louis was realistic, however, and if he hadn’t been, he had his mother to remind him

that France was ungovernable unless its self-love was satisfi ed.Many members of the Bonaparte family were involved in

French politics at that time, but the young prince wisely stayed out of the scene. Eugénie was proud of her tall, handsome son, and although she grieved for her husband, the days spent with Louis at Camden Place were among the happiest of her life.

The young man was also loved by Queen Victoria, and it was said that Louis was the only man besides John Brown who wasn’t afraid of her. In 1879, war broke out with the Zulus, and the prince wanted to see active duty in Her Majesty’s service. He petitioned Victoria, and then he pestered her incessantly until he was enlisted as a private. On February 27, 1879, Eugénie saw her son off to South Africa, with all odds on the young man coming home safe and sound, but her mother’s intuition gave her no peace. Early in June, six troopers were sent out on a scouting expedition with the prince among them. About noon they dismounted their horses and corralled them, with plans to take a rest. The scene seemed entirely safe when suddenly shots rang out, and two men were killed by Zulu bullets. The prince remounted his horse, a strap broke and as he fell to the ground, his horse bolted. Louis got up and made a run for it, but after a quarter of a mile, he realized he had no chance of survival. Louis

These classic Bru Smilers closely capture the likeness of the empress, especially in the narrow shape of the tri-colored eyes – sheer Second Empire elegance.

The Long Twilight

quarter of a mile, he realized he had no chance of survival. Louis

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drew his revolver and ran back to meet the Zulus face on, while fi ring the gun in his left hand and attempting to defl ect spears with his right. In the end, he was speared seventeen times. With all of his wounds on the front of his body, Zulus warriors later shared that the young man “died like a lion.” To them, through his choice of actions and his obvious bravery, he was “an unearthly being – a god.”

It was up to Queen Victoria to break the news to her closest friend in the world: the terrible news that Eugénie’s beloved Lou-lou had died while fi ghting in her service. The following days were the darkest yet for Eugénie, as the realization set in that she had lost her only child.

Very soon after, Eugénie traveled to visit the place where her boy was killed. As part of a great expedition with many hardships, she never once complained. When the party arrived close to the area in which it had all had taken place, Eugénie located the exact spot, led by what she related was her beloved son’s favorite scent, verbena. Eugénie stayed in that sacred place, seemingly all alone, from twilight through the night. But all around her through those dark hours, the tall grasses moved with the stealthy activity of Zulu witnesses to her son’s death. Trying to catch a glimpse of “the mother of the god” who had

died there shortly before; what they saw was the source of that courage, for Eugénie did not move from her place, until the morning light illuminated it once again.

For the rest of her days, when asked to comment on her long life, she would simply say, without bitterness, “I died in 1879.”

Dear reader, that is where this story ends, even though Eugénie went on to live until 1920. We can hope that she enjoyed many happy days. We know that she made the best of her life. She served her native country and her adopted one with honor until the end. When Eugénie left this earth after a brief illness, she did so from her beloved birthplace, Spain, accompanied by a soft voice reading from her favorite story, Don Quixote, and its telling of an impossible dream.

Though Eugénie lived to be only six years shy of her fortune teller’s prediction of a life lasting one hundred years, the fortune teller could not predict that Eugénie’s essence would live far beyond those years. To me, the incomparable city of Paris is unrivaled in beauty and elegance, not unlike the lady herself. As we walk down the boulevards that Eugénie once traveled, and through our collecting, as we handle poupee parisiennes, those porcelain masterpieces created in her image, let us be reminded of Eugénie, the woman, and the shadow of her smile.

This original fragment from the royal bedchamber at Palais de Fontainebleau, was removed in 1927. Among Eugénie’s original personal choices of trims for her bedroom decorations, it was used to match replacements. It is now a lovely souvenir, displayed never far away from the dolls created in her likeness.

Evident here in one of the last portraits of Louis Napoleon, is the fact that his appearance favored that of his mother, especially his eyes and that well known slight smile. After his untimely death, Eugénie wore black the rest of her long life and at home, only she would be allowed to extinguish the candles that illuminated his portraits.

The Empress of France is still making headlines for her style. Once part of her private jewel collection, this one time belt buckle, which she ordered transformed into a brooch, has been recently purchased by the Louvre for their royal collection. The price tag? $11,000,000.00

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Eugénie and her Wardrobe is one of the few dolls that is documented with the actual name of the Empress of France. A very rare paper doll set from the late 1850s to early1860s – it gives us a clear look at the empress’ actual clothing styles. The original paper doll measures nine-inches tall and is complete with a front and back, as is the decorated clothing. We have reduced the size so that you can give your own French fashion doll a gift. If you do not wish to cut out the example here in your magazine, please visit www.dollnews.org where you can print a set on any kind of paper you choose. In addition, you will fi nd patterns and decorations to make a paper box and lid.

This elegant masterpiece from Alexandre Dehors happily presents you with a Eugénie paper doll set for your pleasure.

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38 WINTER 2010

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