The Napoleonic Bee

The Napoleonic Bee

Have you heard of the term 'Napoleonic Bee'? As you might guess it relates to Napoléon Bonaparte I, you know the famed military and political leader of France. Napoléon (also referred to as Napoléon The Great), adopted the bee as his court symbol from as early on as his coronation in 1804 and throughout his reign as Emperor. 

Napoléon Bonaparte I

Let's take a brief look at Napoléon Bonaparte's life before we look at his bee emblem and why he chose this symbol for himself and his family. Napoléon lived between 1769-1821 and is considered to be one of history's greatest military leaders. He rose to prominence during the French Revolution and served as Emperor of France from 1804 to 1814, and again in 1815. He is probably mostly remembered for his role in the Napoleonic Wars and his very well known defeat at the battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815.

Napoléon was buried on Saint Helena Island in 1821 and that was his resting place until 1840 when King Louis-Philippe decided to have his remains transferred to Les Invalides in Paris. Because the large imperial tomb would not fit inside the Dome, architect Viscount was asked to carry out major excavation work to allow it to fit. Once rebuilding works were completed, the body of Emperor Napoléon I was laid to rest there on 2 April 1861.

Hôtel les Invalides (Napoléon Bonaparte's Tomb)

If you haven't yet visited Hôtel Les Invalides, I recommend adding it to your Paris bucket list. It's such an opulent monument showcasing the majesty of France and its significant rulers and the glittering ceiling above the ornate tomb of Napoléon is more than fit for the grave of a war hero. The golden Dome of Les Invalides glitters above the city's skyline dominating especially in bright sunshine.

As this is one of the lesser visited tourist sites in Paris, and it is a large building, you can wander around in relative peace and avoid any great long queues for entry. Get visitors information and ticket information at https://www.musee-armee.fr/en/your-visit/ticket-office

So what about Napoléon's bees?

Napoléon wanted to associate himself with great heros and antecedents such as Emperor Charlemagne, the Carolingians and Merovingians. Charlemagne adopted the cicada as his emblem (similar to the bee in shape) and the early French kings, of the Carolingians and Merovingians, featured bees and cicada on their funerary furniture.

Also in the tomb of King Childeric (436-481), the 5th century King of the ancient Merovingian dynasty, 300 golden jewels styled in the image of bees was uncovered. These very same bee jewels are what Napoléon had affixed to his coronation robe. 

Napoléon thus linked himself with these illustrious lineages in choosing the bee as his emblem. After his coronation Napoléon ensured that the bee was widely adopted in his court as well as in his clothing, court draperies, carpets and furniture.  He was even given the nickname, the Bee.

It seems he chose the bee as a personal and family emblem because it was a symbol of immortality and regeneration. The bee is industrious symbolising hard work, diligence and orderliness - as well as attributes of virtue and sweetness because of its honey production.

The Napoleonic Bee - A Symbol of French Industry

I've read that there was a lot of discussion in his Council about heraldic emblems, and that before adopting the bee, Napoléon considered the cockerel. The cockerel is the symbol of Ancient Gaul, but he dismissed it as "too feeble". The lion was also considered.

The bee has been a vital symbol of French industry and one of the most prominent emblems of the French Revolution. Even today, the bee emblem is used on French glassware, cutlery, linens upholstery fabric and even on cosmetic brands. So Napoléon's bees are still representing France and the French - how cool that history is a part of everyday French life today.

I found this Google Arts & History page about the Coronation Painting very interesting:

 https://artsandculture.google.com/story/story-of-a-coronation/LgKiI7emoChPKw

France and Napoléon go hand in hand but with two French Napoléons, sometimes it can get tricky to know which Napoléon did what in Paris, especially because they were related. Find out which Napoléon did what in our post Napoléon Bonaparte.

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