prince de François-Ferdinand-Philippe-Louis-Marie d'Orléans Joinville

Born in 1818, the Prince of Joinville was the third son of Louis-Philippe, king of the French, and built an early career in the navy. He became known for active service at sea and for leading the 1840 mission that brought Napoleon’s remains back from Saint Helena to France, one of the century’s most symbolic state ceremonies.

After the fall of his father’s monarchy in 1848, he spent long periods in exile, including time in the United States. That wider experience shaped his writing: alongside his naval and political life, he produced memoirs, historical recollections, and illustrated travel accounts that gave readers an insider’s view of Europe, war, and diplomacy.

His work remains interesting not just because he was royal, but because he wrote as a participant in major events. There is often a direct, practical quality to his pages, with the perspective of a sailor and observer rather than a distant chronicler.