Napoleon III ‘should be part of the post-Brexit deal’: French historians want their last monarch to be returned from tomb in a Hampshire church
- Napoleon III was laid to rest in a tomb in a church in Farnborough in 1873
- French historians are hoping to have his remains repatriated in post-Brexit deal
- Dimitri Casali says return of monarch would be a ‘gesture of reconciliation’
French historians have demanded the return of Napoleon III in the wake of Brexit, whose remains lie in a tomb in Hampshire.
The emperor, who was the final monarch to rule France before he died in exile in 1873, was laid to rest in a church in Farnborough.
But historians in France are hoping to have his remains repatriated as part of a post-Brexit trade deal.
It comes after The Greek government launched a bid to engage in talks with the UK over the return of the Elgin Marbles to Athens, which are currently on display in the British Museum.
Napoleon III, who was the final monarch to rule France before he died in exile in 1873, was laid to rest in a church in Farnborough
A request has been sent to the Foreign Office asking the government to consider the return of Napoleon III’s remains in any future talks, according to the Telegraph.
French historian Dimitri Casali is leading calls for the artefact to be returned to what he believes is the country of origin, and told the publication it would be a ‘gesture of reconciliation’ between France and Britain.
Mr Casali, who has written a book about the monarch, said: ‘He was a very, very great man. It’s very important for France to have the body of Napoleon III.
French historians have demanded the return of Napoleon III in the wake of Brexit , whose remains lie in a tomb (pictured) in Hampshire
‘It will be an elegant gesture of reconciliation between England and France.
‘England has their Royal Family, but we have nobody, we have Macron.’
French historian Dimitri Casali is leading calls for the artefact to be returned to what he believes is the country of origin
In July 1870, Napoleon entered the Franco-Prussian War and was rapidly defeated before he was captured by the Germans at the Battle of Sedan.
He was released by the Germans in 1871 and fled to England, where he would spend his final years.
He died after undergoing an operation to extract bladder stones and was laid to rest in a tomb in St Michael’s Abbey.
It comes after the British Museum has vowed to fight off any attempt by the EU to take back the Elgin Marbles during Brexit talks as it said they were acquired ‘completely legally’.
It emerged the bloc’s negotiating mandate for Brexit trade talks had been extended to include a demand to ‘address issues relating to the return or restitution of unlawfully removed cultural objects to their countries of origin’.
The ask was widely believed to have been added at the request of Greece, Italy and Cyprus – and indicates that Brussels intends to play hardball.
Historians in France are hoping to have his remains repatriated from St Michael’s Abbey (pictured) as part of a post-Brexit trade deal
It comes after The Greek government launched a bid to engage in talks with the UK over the return of the Elgin Marbles to Athens, which are currently on display in the British Museum