Bicentenary of Napoleon’s death > Ceremonies on 5 May 2021
“The 5 May 2021 will be a day of celebration”, according to the President of the Fondation Napoléon, Victor-André Masséna.
Numerous ceremonies are being organised on St Helena, in France and in Europe, some of which can be followed live.
Due to health restrictions, the ceremonies are not open to the public.
ST HELENA
The French Domains on St Helena and the Fondation Napoléon have teamed up with the Saint Helena Napoleonic Heritage Ltd, with the help of Sure Saint Helena, Creative St Helena, John I Isaac Contractors, to bring you live coverage of the bicentenary of the Emperor’s death on St Helena.- 5 May 2021: from 8am (GMT), laying of the personalised wreaths, followed at aound 5pm by readings of the writings of Generals Bertrand and Montholon, interrupted by a minute’s silence at 5.49pm, the time of Napoleon’s death, and then the Last Post. The day will end with a vigil in the gardens of Longwood House
– 6 May 2021: from 9am (11am French time), commemorative mass (recalling the lying in state of Napoleon at Longwood)
– 9 May 2021: from 3pm (GMT), the time Napoleon’s burial, ceremony at the Tomb
► Follow the ceremonies live from the YouTube channel Napoleon200.
PARIS
– 9:00 am (French time): wreath laying for the Souvenir Napoléonien at the Tomb of Napoleon, Dôme des Invalides
– 10.30am: wreath laying by Prince Napoleon, and by the Fondation Napoléon at Napoleon’s Tomb, Dôme des Invalides
► Watch the video of the ceremony on Napoleonica, the Fondation Napoléon’s YouTube channel:
– 11am: mass at the Cathedral of Saint-Louis des Invalides
– 4.30 pm: speech by the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron at the Institut de France, preceded by speeches by representatives of the five academies to be consulted here ► speech by the President of the Republic live on LCI and Le Figaro Live
– Around 6pm: laying of a wreath by the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron in the presence of Prince Napoleon at Napoleon’s Tomb, Dôme des Invalides
SOME OF THE CEREMONIES IN FRANCE
– AJACCIO (Corsica): day of commemoration (talks, commemorative mass in the Imperial Chapel, show, illumination)
– ALENÇON: ceremony in the park of the Orne prefecture
– ASNIÈRES-SUR-SEINE: commemoration in homage to the Emperor Napoleon I at the war memorial of Asnières: inauguration of a stele and planting of a plane tree
– CHÂTEAUROUX: laying of a wreath, Place Napoléon
– CHERBOURG-EN-COTENTIN: at 12:30pm, Place Napoléon, speeches and wreath laying
– RUEIL-MALMAISON: concert by the Garde Républicaine; bell-ringing at St-Pierre St-Paul church
– VAL-DE-LA-HAYE: ceremony in front of the Napoleon column
IN THE MEDIA > RADIO – TV
– 7.40 am and 8.40 am: Radio Classique morning show, Guillaume Durand and Franck Ferrand, with Thierry Lentz ► Radio Classique live
– 8.20 am: RTL, Yves Calvi’s morning show, with Pierre Branda ► RTL
– 11.50 am: Times Radio (the national UK radio station run by the Times Newspapers), with Peter Hicks ► Times Radio
– 1.30 pm: RFI, “De vive(s) voix” by Pascal Paradou with Peter Hicks ► RFI
– 2 pm: France 24, with Pierre Branda ► France 24 live
– 2.45-6.30 pm: Le Figaro Live, Charlotte Barillon-Dennebouy with Pierre Branda ► Le Figaro Live
– 6.30 pm: Canal+, “L’info du Vrai” by Yves Calvi, with Thierry Lentz ► Canal+
– 7.20 pm: Europe 1, “Europe Soir” by Julian Bugier, with Pierre Branda ► Europe 1 Soir
– 7.10-8 pm: France 24, “The Debate”, with Peter Hicks ► “The Debate”
ON SOCIAL NETWORKS
– on Twitter, Fondation Napoléon
– on Facebook, Fondation Napoléon
4 May 2021, updated 11 May 2021.
