2-982-566 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Brass Gun presented by the Emperor Napoleon to Her Majesty the Queen, 1858. '...the piece was brought into the quadrangle of the Castle...unlimbered and placed immediately before the grand entrance, and a portion of the artillery were dismounted, and drawn up in rear of it...the Queen and his Royal Highness the Prince Consort...and the Royal suite, entered the quadrangle, where the Duke of Malakoff...presented the gun to her Majesty; after which the Queen and the Prince Consort made a minute inspection of the piece and also ammunition-waggon... The gun was afterwards conveyed to the Cavalry Barracks, Spittal, and taken thence to Woolwich. This beautiful piece of ordnance...is a 12-pounder brass howitzer, highly polished, and mounted on a carriage of beautifully-polished oak, as is also the ammunition-waggon. Complete sets of harness for twelve horses, such as are used in France, accompany the gun, as well as several rounds of ammunition. The piece bears the appropriate name of "L'Alliance"; and on it are engraved, near the muzzle, the words "A la Reine Victoria, l'Empereur Napoleon, 1858," with the cipher surmounted by the Imperial crown; and on the breech are the arms of England beautifully chased'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858.