Grab a chance to see Napoleon’s Saint Helena uniform

Clothes that emperor wore in exile go on display – along with bicorne felt hat – for just a few days as they are very fragile

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Napoleon’s favourite uniform – the one he is most often seen wearing in portraits and which he wore in exile on Saint Helena – is to go on display with his famous ‘bicorne’ felt hat this weekend.

The exhibition will be one of the few occasions when the clothes can be viewed by the public as the uniform is fragile despite restoration. It needs to be stored in the dark for a year after it is shown.

It will feature along with the hat Napoleon wore at Waterloo – the hat still carries the rain stains from the battle – in the exhibition at the museum in Sens, Yonne, 120km south-east of Paris.

The museum will show them at 17.00 tomorrow and they will continue on display for this weekend only to show off the latest restoration work, which was funded by the Fondation Napoleon. Visits are free - get more information here.

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A couple of years ago a bicorne hat that Napoleon wore at the battle of Marengo sold for a world record €1,884million.

We will have a feature with photos telling the full story of the uniform in the June issue of The Connexion, on sale at the end of next week.