The St Helena Government, through its British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust, has put in place a series of events to commemorate the bicentenary of Napoleon’s death.

For further details, see British Bicentenary Trust’s website here.

Updated 30 April 2021.

Events organised by the British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust

The British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust was created by the Government of St Helena to commemorate the bicenteary of the death of Napoleon and to consider the significance of Napoleon’s death in the 21st Century and to preserve the built and cultural heritage of the island. It has organised a series of talks by Prof. Dan Yon, Prof. Hlonipha Mokoena & Will Atkins, Adam Zamoyski & Professor Alan Forrest, Peter Hicks, Prof Daniel Yon, Colin Fox & Dr Andrew Pearson, and Brent Fortenberry PhD & Dr Oliver Cox, that can be listened to here on line.

– The final talk in the series will take place on 15 April. Andrew Roberts, celebrated historian and author of Napoleon the Great, Fondation Napoléon Prix du Jury in 2014, will debate with Sir Brian Unwin, president of the board of trustees of the British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust and author of Terrible Exile – The Last Days of Napoleon on St Helena “the battle between Napoleon and the governor of St Helena at the time, Sir Hudson Lowe”.

Other Trust projects concerning the preservation of some of the island’s key heritage sites are under consideration:
– the renovation of Toby’s Cottage, one of the remnants of the Briars where Napoleon was held on his arrival in St Helena, is being considered. The Cottage will tell the story of slavery on the island, and of one particular slave, Toby, whom Napoleon met and befriended;
– Fortifications dating from the Napoleonic period;
– Jacob’s Ladder, a remnant of a funicular railway that now serves as a steep staircase to the island’s capital, Jamestown.

Update 30 April > “Beginning on Tuesday, 4 May  will be sharing a number of short video vignettes across our social media platforms and website, recounting the first person testimony of some of the main protagonists in the story of Napoleon on Saint Helena. The individuals we have selected are those buried in the UK, many of whom we would have been commemorating with an event if it were possible.   Where it is permitted, we will be leaving a plaque at the grave site to mark the event. In addition to these clips, we will also be sharing some of the other interesting stories, images, and facts about Napoleon and St Helena – much which has resulted from the past six months of research, presentations, blogs, and talks by all our fantastic contributors.”

On Wednesday, 5th May, attention turns to St Helena and the commemorative events on the island organised by the Honorary French Consul, Michel Dancoisne-Martineau.

At 8pm (UK Time)  Sir Brian Unwin, Michael Binyon, and James Bramble will join a discussion organised by the Friends of the British Overseas Territories, also streamed on the website, and that of FOTBOT (www.fotbot.org). Book a ticket

GENERAL Information

List of partners of “2021 Année Napoléon”.

Calendar of Events.

Follow the special Instagram account for “2021 Année Napoléon” events.

Follow the Fondation Napoléon’s Facebook page in English.

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PrEsentation of the British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust

See the website du British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust
For further information on St Helena, see the website of the government of St Helena