France remains in a state of shock over the theft of several Crown jewels exhibited at the Louvre Museum. Naturally, among those who have expressed the most shock over what happened are the current members of the Napoleonic imperial family, the dynasty founded by Napoleon Bonaparte with his proclamation as emperor on May 18, 1804, and further glorified with a lavish coronation on December 2 of that same year at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Almost all the pieces stolen by four robbers on Sunday in a movie-like operation belonged to women of this House, such as the fabulous crown of Empress Eugenia de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III, which the thieves lost in their escape and was able to be recovered, although severely damaged.
Serious security flaws that allowed the theft at the Louvre: "A month ago, the alarm on one of the windows was turned off because it was activating erroneously"
The movie-like theft at the museum: seven minutes, the work of professionals, and a loot of historical jewels
Thus, Prince Joachim Murat expressed on Sunday night, both on his social media and in statements to the media, being "deeply shocked by the disappearance of the insignias" which, in his words, has affected him "as a personal pain." In his statement, the aristocrat emphasized that "it is a part of our national soul that is being stripped away." After appealing to the authorities and all heritage defenders to clarify the matter and to redouble efforts in raising awareness among the population about the importance of caring for cultural heritage and the millennia-old history of the French Monarchy, Joachim Murat nevertheless wanted to show his full support to the police in finding the criminals.
Prince Juan Cristóbal Bonaparte and his mother, Princess Beatriz de Borbón-Dos Sicilias.GTRES
Joaquín Carlos Napoleon Murat, Prince of Pontecorvo (52 years old), is the son and heir of the dynastic rights of Joaquín Luis Napoleon Murat, the eighth Prince Murat and head of this secondary branch of the Napoleonic imperial family. They descend from Napoleon I's younger sister, Carolina Bonaparte, who married the Joaquín Murat who earned the trust of the former as an aide-de-camp in many battles, eventually being promoted to general, and who then held various positions and titles, including for a time that of Lieutenant General of Spain, until being created nothing less than the king of Naples and prince of Pontecorvo. His tragic end is another matter. But the fact is that all his descendants have been part of one of the most prestigious lineages in Europe for the past two centuries.
Our protagonist today, the heir of the House, Joachim Murat, married the Algerian writer Yasmine Lorraine in 2022, now Princess Yasmine Murat-Bonaparte. It was the wedding of the year in France, held at the Church of Saint Louis des Invalides in Paris, where Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb is located. The wedding was attended by numerous royalty members, such as Maria Pia of Savoy; the Crown Prince Mohamed Ali of Egypt, son of King Fuad II, and his wife, Princess Noal Zaher, granddaughter of the last king of Afghanistan; and Prince Leka II of Albania, among others.
And among the witnesses at that wedding, one of Joachim's cousins stood out, Prince Juan Cristóbal Bonaparte (39 years old), the current head of the Napoleonic imperial House. He is the great-great-grandson of one of Napoleon I's brothers, Jérôme Bonaparte (1784-1860), who was a brief king of Westphalia.
Three contenders for the Throne of Paris
Juan Cristóbal holds the title of Imperial Highness and is recognized as the head of the Napoleonic House, making him the third claimant to the non-existent throne of Paris. If the French were to decide one day to reinstate the monarchy, the first thing they would have to do -all are welcome- is to agree on which of them to grant the scepter and crown. These are Juan de Orleans -the candidate with the most followers-, Luis Alfonso de Borbón, and our protagonist. Juan Cristóbal is much more unknown and discreet than his rivals. And, from his statements, he seems much more sensible and realistic. Despite the pompous nature of his imperial status, his airs do not compete with those of Orleans or the great-grandson of Franco. Even so, Jean-Christophe is dedicated to keeping the dynastic legacy alive and attends gatherings of all European royal families with whom he shares genes.
If today, with so much talk of the end of the French Fifth Republic, and in a context where there is no shortage of those who dream of a monarchical restoration, it were decided to install Juan Cristóbal on the Throne of Paris, his wife, Princess Olympia von Arco-Zinneberg -great-granddaughter of the last emperor of Austria- would have been able to proudly and rightfully wear the magnificent pieces now stolen from the Louvre. Such as two tiaras of Queens Maria Amelia -wife of King Louis Philippe of the French-, in this case from the Orleans dynasty, and Hortense de Beauharnais, mother of Napoleon III.
The thieves also took other pieces from the dynasty, such as two parts of the fabulous emerald set that Napoleon gave to Marie Louise of Austria on the occasion of their marriage: a pair of earrings and a necklace. It was one of the two sets commissioned by the emperor, along with another of opals and diamonds, in 1810.