On April 6, 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte, was forced to abdicate the throne and exiled to Elba, a Mediterranean island off the coast of Italy. He came back to Paris on March 20, 1815, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. The new king, Louis XVIII, fled, and Napoleon embarked on what came to be known as his Hundred Days campaign. He attacked preemptively, defeating the allied forces one by one before they could launch a united attack. Ultimately, the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1915) marked the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte.
After his death in 1821, the surviving fighters of Grande Armée revered his historic leadership. Every year on the anniversary of Napoléon’s death, the veterans marched to Paris’ Place Vendôme in full uniform to pay respects to their emperor.
Here below are some surviving portraits of veterans who fought under the command of Napoleon in the wars of 1803-1805 wearing the uniform they fought in. The exact date on which the portraits were taken is unknown. However, they are believed to be taken after 1858. The veterans were in their seventies and eighties.
