Latest news with #Napoleon


Spectator
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Demographics is the new dividing line on the right
It's an ominous time for a state-of-the-nation conference. Each week, the shores we defended against Hitler, Napoleon and the Spanish Armada are breached by hundreds of foreign men, while asylum seekers make up 'a significant proportion' of those currently being investigated for the grooming of British children. Earlier this month, there were days of violent anti-immigration riots in Ballymena. The five Gaza independents elected last year marked the grim rise of electoral sectarianism in the UK, a trend that is only set to accelerate. Academics and government insiders, despairing at the state of Britain, fret about looming civil war along ethnic lines. 'Now and England', a one-day conference hosted by the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation this week in Westminster, was billed as 'exploring nation, culture, and identity in a time of change and renewal'. In truth, 'a time of decline and crisis' would probably have been more apposite. At the root of each issue lies mass, unasked for immigration and the resultant demographic change. The figures are bleak. On current trends, white British are expected to be a minority in Britain by 2063, according to a recent study by Prof Matt Goodwin; the figure is even sooner for England. The Centre for Migration Control forecasts that if nothing changes, by 2035, one quarter of the population will be foreign-born, with one third of the of the population a first- or second-generation migrant. Fewer than one in four children in Greater London's schools are white British. To the predominantly younger right-wingers in attendance, along with the country, such trends are deeply alarming. Yet do political leaders on the right feel the same way? When Reform's Richard Tice was pressed on Goodwin's demographics projections recently on GB News, for instance, he scarcely seemed bothered. The question of the conference, then, was just how seriously it would take these issues. What is England without the English? Robert Jenrick gave it his best shot with the opening keynote. 'Mass immigration lies at the root of… so many of our problems', he said. Reckless border policies, his own party's included, had eroded our 'sense of home'. He reiterated calls for a legally binding cap on immigration and ECHR reform. It wasn't nothing, but a stump speech was hardly going to break the Overton window. Next came a worthwhile panel on cultural renewal, before the second keynote by Dr James Orr, Cambridge academic and Nat Con grandee. 'England is slipping away', he warned gravely, and the cause was 'hyper-liberalism'. It was a philosopher's way of saying that we had recklessly imported millions of foreigners in the vain pursuit of GDP growth. But it was notable that even this conservative luminary seemed to be dancing around the issue somewhat. It was on the final panel, 'England's Past and England's future' that things came to a head. Danny Kruger MP spoke of Bede, the common law, and the importance of homogeneity, but it all remained rather abstract. Apparently, what we needed was a 'violent rebellion against encroaching ideas' and to 'tame the technium'. A leading light of the class of 2019, Kruger seemed to have forgotten why his party was turfed out with such disgust at the last election. Robert Tombs spoke about historical memory. Rupert Lowe MP ranged widely on statism, Blair's constitutional revolution, the rape gangs and free speech, but demographic change didn't feature. We had all been waiting to hear from Thomas Skinner, the former Apprentice star and small business owner known for cheerily belting out 'Bosh!' on social media and seemingly eyeing a tilt at the London mayoralty (he wouldn't be drawn). But if he had any concerns about immigration and cultural change he never made them explicit, instead preferring populist bromides ('England is about the people'). All of which meant that by the Q&A, the young audience had grown restive. Up stepped one mid-20s professional to speak for England. He noted that while Kruger had spoken of greater localism – 'watching the barley grow' from his Wiltshire idyll – this was hardly much of a solution when demographic change has already rendered some English councils corrupt tribal fiefdoms. Being from Rotherham, he said, he would know. 'So my question is, if we reach a juncture where democracy becomes a zero-sum game between different ethnic and religious blocs, what feasible future is there for it?' It was like a dam breaking: suddenly, thunderous applause and whoops filled the 200-seat lecture theatre, the loudest we had heard all day. (Later, several people went to congratulate him.) Skinner seemed uncomfortable, while Lowe was making notes. Piling on the pressure, there followed the voice of Carl Benjamin of the Lotus Eaters, noting how the central question of demographics had loomed over the whole conference largely unsaid. He then went after Danny Kruger for a remark in his speech that 'anyone can become English', also drawing applause. The panel tried to answer, but it was clear they were on uncomfortable territory. 'I detect a very strong desire for action to restore the basis of our polity lest we lose it altogether', noted Kruger, gingerly. Rupert Lowe offered simply that people who come to Britain ought to speak English and pay their taxes; Skinner had gone out for a phone call. Tombs at least volunteered that we should ban postal voting and cousin marriage. But in his view, the best approach would be to 'clone Katharine Birbalsingh', the headmistress of the ultra-diverse and disciplinarian Michaela School in West London. If you've seen 'little girls with headscarves on reciting Kipling and singing the national anthem' he said, 'you think becoming English is quite possible if you want to do it, and if you're encouraged to do it and indeed required to do it'. Tombs then argued that being English was something that 'we all learn'. This is the nub of the issue: the largely generational divide that is becoming increasingly visible on the British right. There are many who prefer to ignore ethnicity, ancestry and demographics on the grounds that such topics are both immaterial and icky; there are even some who insist, against all the available evidence, that multiculturalism has been a success. On the other hand there are those who are unapologetic about believing that the English are an ethnic group, that England is our home, and that the more diverse our society becomes, the less happy it will be. Such sentiments would have been common sense to most people throughout human history. It is ordinary and natural to identify with one's ethnic group. It is also ordinary and natural for a people to understand itself as a people. Yet for the past 60 years, as woke moral guardrails have expanded throughout our culture, such sentiments have been rendered deeply taboo. If that taboo is now being broken, it is not before time.


eNCA
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- eNCA
Napoleon collection sells at auction for $10 mn
PARIS - A massive trove of artwork and curios linked to Napoleon Bonaparte, including one of his iconic bicorne hats, has sold for more than $10 million in Paris, an auction house said. Sotheby's said it had originally estimated the more than 110 items of Napoleonic memorabilia that it sold on Wednesday at around $7 million. Famous paintings of the 19th-century French emperor, gilded imperial furniture and a copy of the marriage certificate between Napoleon and his wife Josephine were among the items up for auction. AFP | BERTRAND GUAY Relics linked to Napoleon regularly come up for sale at auction in France in a flourishing trade marked by intense interest from collectors. The vast collection also included Napoleon's first will written while in exile on the Atlantic island of Saint Helena, and the sword and staff used for his coronation at Paris' famed Notre Dame Cathedral in 1804. Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in 1815 after his defeat by the British at the Battle of Waterloo. He died there six years later. French collector Pierre-Jean Chalencon, a former star of a French antiques television show who dubs himself "Napoleon's press officer", assembled the collection over four decades. AFP | BERTRAND GUAY Born in a Parisian suburb, Chalencon started his collection at the age of 13 and accumulated more than 1,000 objects, including a coronation ring and a piece of the emperor's coffin. At a different Parisian auction in late May, one of Napoleon's sabres sold for 4.6 million euros, coming close to a new record price for a Napoleonic artefact.


CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Napoleon collection sells at auction for US$10 million
A Napoleon hat is on display in an exhibition of Napoleon's belongings created by French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at the Sotheby's auction house in Paris Thursday, June 19, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Paris, France -- A massive trove of artwork and curios linked to Napoleon Bonaparte, including one of his iconic bicorne hats, has sold for more than US$10 million in Paris, an auction house said. Sotheby's said it had originally estimated the more than 110 items of Napoleonic memorabilia that it sold on Wednesday at around $7 million. Famous paintings of the 19th-century French emperor, gilded imperial furniture and a copy of the marriage certificate between Napoleon and his wife Josephine were among the items up for auction. Relics linked to Napoleon regularly come up for sale at auction in France in a flourishing trade marked by intense interest from collectors. The vast collection also included Napoleon's first will written while in exile on the Atlantic island of Saint Helena, and the sword and staff used for his coronation at Paris' famed Notre Dame Cathedral in 1804. Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in 1815 after his defeat by the British at the Battle of Waterloo. He died there six years later. French collector Pierre-Jean Chalencon, a former star of a French antiques television show who dubs himself 'Napoleon's press officer,' assembled the collection over four decades. Born in a Parisian suburb, Chalencon started his collection at the age of 13 and accumulated more than 1,000 objects, including a coronation ring and a piece of the emperor's coffin. At a different Parisian auction in late May, one of Napoleon's sabres sold for 4.6 million euros, coming close to a new record price for a Napoleonic artifact.

LeMonde
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
Napoleon collection sells at auction for $10m
A massive trove of artwork and curios linked to Napoleon Bonaparte, including one of his iconic bicorne hats, has sold for more than $10 million in Paris, an auction house said. Sotheby's said it had originally estimated the more than 110 items of Napoleonic memorabilia that it sold on Wednesday at around $7 million. Famous paintings of the 19 th -century French emperor, gilded imperial furniture and a copy of the marriage certificate between Napoleon and his wife Josephine were among the items up for auction. Relics linked to Napoleon regularly come up for sale at auction in France in a flourishing trade marked by intense interest from collectors. The vast collection also included Napoleon's first will written while in exile on the Atlantic island of Saint Helena, and the sword and staff used for his coronation at Paris' famed Notre Dame Cathedral in 1804. Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in 1815 after his defeat by the British at the Battle of Waterloo. He died there six years later. French collector Pierre-Jean Chalencon, a former star of a French antiques television show who dubs himself "Napoleon's press officer," assembled the collection over four decades. Born in a Parisian suburb, Chalencon started his collection at the age of 13 and accumulated more than 1,000 objects, including a coronation ring and a piece of the emperor's coffin. At a different Parisian auction in late May, one of Napoleon's sabres sold for €4.6 million, coming close to a new record price for a Napoleonic artefact.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Sotheby's Taps Jean-Charles de Castelbajac to Showcase Napoleonic Treasures
PARIS — How do you make history come alive? In the case of Sotheby's upcoming sale of Napoleonic memorabilia, the answer involves fog, eerie sound effects and a Pop Art take on military regalia. 'I wanted it to be an immersive and emotional installation,' said Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, who has brought his colorful touch to the showcase for the June 25 auction of objects from the trove of Pierre-Jean Chalençon, one of the world's leading private collectors of Napoleonic material. More from WWD Julien's Auctions to Offer Key Menswear Pieces From Celebrities, Designers Diamonds, Dynasties and Drama: Marie Antoinette's Smuggled Pink Diamond Resurfaces, Heads to Christie's Auction The 'World's Most Complicated Wristwatch' by Patek Philippe in 1989 Leads Christie's 'Exceptional Watches' Auction With an Estimated Value of Up to $1.4M Fresh off designing the priest's robes for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, the designer with aristocratic roots took another deep dive into the history of France. This chapter has a personal ring: his ancestor Armand de Castelbajac fought alongside Napoleon Bonaparte in the Russian campaign of 1812, which famously claimed the lives of nearly a million soldiers and civilians. 'Through his life, I took a close interest in [Napoleon's] rise to power, but also his decline, which is so moving,' he said. De Castelbajac hopes a more nuanced portrayal will provide a gateway into Napoleon's story for those who view him not as a national hero, but as an authoritarian ruler who reinforced colonial dynamics. Inspired by Napoleon's habit of using toy soldiers to plot his military battles, the designer dotted the entrance with giant cutouts with gold outlines, and shrouded the floor in smoke. 'People will be greeted by fog, which often features in the emperor's memoirs on the morning of battles,' de Castelbajac said. He decked out plinths, pedestals and even the auctioneer's lectern with colorful stripes that nod to the Empire period's fascination with Greco-Roman columns. Elsewhere, an electro soundtrack is mixed with the sounds of wind, drums and horses. Noting that the ruler tried and failed to replace France's tricolor flag, de Castelbajac commissioned French specialist Doublet, which made banners for the Notre-Dame reopening, to create a symbolic green flag emblazoned with a gold bee — echoing those Napoleon had embroidered on his coronation mantle. 'I like the idea that this is the 21st century, and telling this epic story is no dusty history lesson,' said the designer, known for signature creations like his teddy bear coat and Iceberg cartoon sweaters, prized by the hip-hop set. 'I wanted to blend history with elements of pop culture and take people on a journey.' Among the star lots is Napoleon's iconic bicorne hat, crafted by his official hatmaker Poupard, estimated at between 500,000 euros and 800,000 euros. His personal gold and ebony seal, used to send dispatches from the front, is valued at 150,000 euros to 250,000 euros. A red velvet throne armchair, a gilt-bronze eagle and an epic portrait of the caped military leader on horseback convey the pomp of his reign. But de Castelbajac was more interested in fragments of the man behind the myth: his wrinkled shirt; a madras headscarf he wore in exile on the remote island of St. Helena, or a lock of his hair. They are among the items showcased in a darkened room lined with camouflage fabric, next to Napoleon's portable tented camp bed. 'It's incredibly modern, yet this draped green fabric takes us to what I call a 'spectracular' dimension,' he said, playing on the word for ghosts. De Castelbajac accentuated the eerie ambiance with a soundtrack that juxtaposes his own voice with Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 7.' The room, which will only welcome 15 people at a time, is scented with a special fragrance created by perfumer Frédéric Malle. 'I wanted to show the destiny of someone who went from a sort of apex to immense solitude,' de Castelbajac said. 'It has an emotional weight. My feeling is that these are not just objects, but rather relics.' Fashion designers are in high demand in the art world. Last year, Sotheby's tapped Rabanne creative director Julien Dossena to curate its 'Important Design' sale of masterpieces of 20th-century design. Meanwhile, Christie's asked Simon Porte Jacquemus to curate the exhibition preceding a sale of works by François-Xavier Lalanne in New York City. De Castelbajac noted it was not the first time he's created a showcase for Chalençon's collection. He previously designed an exhibition around it at the Paris Biennale in 2018. Both Chalençon's palatial home in Paris and his vast collection are coming under the hammer as he seeks to pay off a reported 10 million euros in debt. The eccentric collector and television personality has also been dogged by controversy over his public support of far-right political leaders. De Castelbajac is taking the long view. 'I told myself: This is a piece of French history, and whether it's in a museum or in a prestigious auction house like Sotheby's, at some point you have to sanctify it, to crystallize it, and to show it as a historical example. And how do you make this story relevant to younger generations? It's by reinjecting a sense of drama,' he said. Best of WWD Celebrity Style at Coachella Through the Years: Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse and More [PHOTOS] From John Galliano to Paul Smith, Designers Who've Created Christmas Trees at Claridge's The Most Over-the-top Hats From the Royal Ascot Races Through the Years