176 - An autograph manuscript by the Duke of Angoulême (1814),

An autograph manuscript by the Duke of Angoulême (1814), a prince of the House of Bourbon, son of the future Charles X and nephew of Louis XVIII, containing a list of the names of 3 marshals and 12 generals of the Empire compiled during the First Restoration. Manuscript in brown ink on paper, 1 leaf, in-12 format. Framed. H. 19 x W. 11.5 cm (visible area). H. 47 x W. 37.5 cm (frame). Provenance Claude Seignolle (1917–2018), historian and collector. History This rare autograph manuscript by the Dauphin of France, relating to the crisis of 1814, specifically mentions Marshals Victor (Bellune), Marmont (Ragusa), and Molitor, as well as several imperial generals, including Mouton (Lobau), Fririon, Rogniat, Valée, Bordesoulle, Girardin, Bourmont, Préval, Dode de la Brunerie, etc. This document serves as a political and military working tool intended to assess the loyalty of Napoleonic officers to the new royal regime. It is a firsthand account of the transition from the Empire to the Restoration, showing how the Bourbons assessed Napoleon’s top officers in order to rebuild the royal army. Rare.