Petit Roi de Rome bedroom

The Pierre Frey wall hangings made from ‘toile de Jouy’ fills this gorgeous room with light. On the walls are portraits of the little King of Rome and Madame de Montesquieu, the beautiful decorative fireplace from Louis XV, topped with a delicate trumeau mirror. Finally, a secret door leads into the bathroom. Central view of the château wings and the park.

History of the Petit Roi de Rome bedroom

Francis-Charles-Joseph-Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Rome, Duke of Reichstadt, was born in Tuileries on the 20th March 1811 and died in Schönbrunn (Austria) on 22nd July 1832.

The birth of the King of Rome (Portrait on the north wall of the room)

François Charles Joseph Napoléon Bonaparte was born on the 20th March 1811 at around 9.00am in the Palais des Tuileries, in Paris. While all the high dignitaries of the Court and Napoleon I crowded around him and the Empress Marie Louise, 101 cannon shots were heard in Paris, indicating to the people that the heir to the Empire had just been born. A few minutes later, Napoleon took the child in his arms and went onto the balcony. Presenting the baby to the people of Paris, he proclaimed: ‘His Majesty the King of Rome!’. Paris was overjoyed! In granting him the title of ‘King of Rome’, Napoleon intended to give the baby a certain prestige, since he expected to make Rome, symbol of the ancient Roman Empire and centre of the Christian world, the second city of the Empire.

Maman Quiou’ (portrait on the east wall of the room)

Madame de Montesquiou, invited to eat at the table of Napoleon I on Good Friday, refused to eat the meat offered to her by the Emperor. Impressed by her strength of character and honesty, Napoleon decided to entrust his son, the little King of Rome, to her. Madame de Montesquiou, affectionately called ‘Maman Quiou’ by the child, remained faithful to the crown even in its darkest hours. An ancestor of my wife, we decided to name this room after the child that she kept and cherished!

In the same range

Atmosphere :

• Pretty ‘toile de Jouy’ by Pierre Frey, with hot air balloons and red-chalk designs.
• Charming canopy
• Decorative fireplace and red marble mantelpiece from Belgium
• Painted trumeau depicting an allegory of painting and its muse
• Stunning views over the southern side of the park
• A door, hidden in the wall hanging, leads to the bathroom
• Bathroom, washbasin with direct view over the park, walk-in shower with tiled floor, period cast-iron claw foot bath tub.
• Raspberry-coloured tiles and exposed beams