Premium
‘Citizen Emperor’: Political Ritual, Popular Sovereignty and the Coronation of N apoleon I
Author(s) -
Dwyer Philip
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.12
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 1468-229X
pISSN - 0018-2648
DOI - 10.1111/1468-229x.12089
Subject(s) - coronation , monarchy , sovereignty , legitimacy , politics , ceremony , popular sovereignty , emperor , law , ambivalence , political science , history , ancient history , sociology , archaeology , psychology , social psychology
The coronation of N apoleon in N otre D ame on 2 D ecember 1804 was built upon a number of contradictory concepts. As heir to the F rench R evolution, N apoleon founded the legitimacy of his new regime on the notion of popular sovereignty. He incorporated the idea into a new coronation ceremony, a mélange of different rites and customs, incorporating aspects of C arolingian tradition, the ancien régime and the R evolution, thereby helping to create a new political culture based on continuity with the past. And yet the people were precluded from the ceremony itself. Moreover, the coronation contained within it the seeds of the E mpire's later turn towards absolute‐style monarchy, based on revived notions of divine right. The coronation thus highlights N apoleon's, and the F rench political elite's, ambivalent attitude towards the idea of monarchy and popular sovereignty. Although the coronation should be seen as part of the process of national reconciliation implemented by N apoleon, as ritual it failed to leave a deep impression.