French Imperial Eagle

The standards represented the regiments raised by the various departments of France, and were intended to institute feelings of pride and loyalty among the troops who would be the backbone of Napoleon's new Imperial regime.

[1] The original design was sculpted by Antoine-Denis Chaudet and then copies were cast in the workshop of Pierre-Philippe Thomire, with the first eagles presented on 5 December 1804.

Upon Napoleon's fall, the restored monarchy of King Louis XVIII ordered all eagles to be destroyed; only a very small number were preserved.

[3] The first capture of an eagle was most likely during the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 when the Russian cavalry of the guard under Grand Duke Konstantin overran the French 4th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, taking their flag.

[4] In 1807, at Heilsberg, the 55th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [fr] was overthrown by Prussian cavalry and Russian infantry.

[5] In 1807, near Eylau, the 18th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [fr] lost its flag and eagle to the Russian St. Petersburg Dragoons [ru].

[6] In 1812, at Krasnoi, the 18th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne again lost its eagle and was "virtually destroyed" by the Russian Life Guard Uhlans [ru].

At Barrosa, Ensign Edward Keogh and Sergeant Patrick Masterson captured the French Imperial Eagle of the 8th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [fr].

The original staff is still held in the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, located in the Sovereign's House on The Mall in Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Ensign John Pratt of the Light Company of the 30th Regiment of Foot (later 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment) captured the eagle of the 22nd Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [fr] (displayed today in the Lancashire Infantry Museum at Fulwood Barracks in Preston, Lancashire),[13] while Lieutenant William Pearce of the 2nd Battalion of the 44th Regiment of Foot took the eagle of the 62nd Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [fr][14] (displayed today in the Chelmsford Museum in Essex).

The French I Corps under the command of the Comte d'Erlon was charged by the British heavy cavalry, commanded by the Earl of Uxbridge; the 1st The Royal Dragoons captured the eagle of the 105th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [fr]; (now held at the National Army Museum, Chelsea)[17] and Sergeant Charles Ewart of the Royal Scots Greys captured the eagle of the 45th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [fr] (now held at the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum in Edinburgh Castle).

[25] In May 2015, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offered a reward of $100,000 for the safe return of the Eagle which remains missing.