As Napoleon lay dying on St Helena cursing the British who had sent him into exile on the remote volcanic island, his loyal stable master was never far from the bedside.
Achille Thomas Archambault would later hold the emperor's head while his death mask was made. He attended the autopsy, where witnesses would report that he was the only one of Napoleon's entourage to appear upset.
Yesterday, souvenirs that Archambault brought back to France – including the sweat-stained nightshirt worn by the ailing Napoleon just before he fell into a coma, as well as bandages, a small walking stick and a lock of the emperor’s hair – were due to go under the hammer on the outskirts of Paris.
The auctioneer Jean-Christophe Chataignier said the “vestiges of the very end of Napoleon’s life” were both moving and historic. The items were among a collection of historic pieces from the French first and second empire (1804-70) to be sold at Fontainebleau.
However, at the last minute, descendants of Napoleon’s loyal servant obtained an injunction preventing the sale for fear that the objects would be taken abroad.
"They wanted this heritage to stay in France," Horia Dazi-Masmi, a lawyer representing the relatives, told Le Parisien newspaper.
He said the items originating from Archambault would be held in reserve until there was an agreement about what should be done with them.
Objects linked to Napoleon Bonaparte have in the past sparked international interest and furious bidding at auction, and the Archambault collection was considered a rare and unusual treasure trove and the centrepiece of Sunday's sale.
– ( Guardian service)