The Uniforms of the French Army under Napoleon I (1800 - 1815) - The Imperial Guard - 3rd Regiment of Foot Grenadiers.

After the end of the French Revolution the Netherlands were occupied by French troops. As a result, the Batavian Republic (1795–1806) came into being for a few years. It was allied with France (The Hague Treaties).

With Napoleon’s seizure of power the Netherlands, united with East Frisia and Jever, became the Kingdom of Holland. Louis (02.09.1778 in Ajaccio, Corsica; † 25.07.1846 in Livorno), Napoleon’s brother, was enthroned as its king. He arrived with his entourage at his new residence on 18.06.1806.

However, subsequently Louis, from Napoleon’s point of view, placed Dutch interests above French claims, which led to political difficulties between the brothers and Louis abdicated of his own accord. The main issue was the economic effects of the Continental System. The abdication was published on 03.07.1810 and Napoleon only learned of his brother’s abdication on 06.07.1810.

Thereafter the Netherlands became part of France in the same year. The Dutch army was also integrated into the French army.

The original Dutch guard regiment became part of the Imperial Guard on 13.09.1810, as the 2nd Grenadier Regiment on foot, later — in May 1811 — it received the No. 3. They were, however, still called the Dutch Grenadiers.

The regiment was almost annihilated in the Russian campaign of 1812; the remnants were incorporated into the 1st and 2nd Grenadier Regiments on foot.

Upon incorporation into the French Imperial Guard they kept their white uniform, but soon lost the ribbon trim on the facings and sleeve cuffs. The old uniforms, however, continued to be worn for some time.

The long-tailed white coat had a red collar, red facings, red sleeve cuffs with white patches and red skirt flaps. The epaulettes were also red. The buttons were yellow or gilt.

The headdress was a black bearskin without a mount; the bag was white, golden for officers. The short plume carried on the left above the cockade was red in color. The red cloth patch was adorned with a white grenade. This was gilt for officers. The chin strap was introduced only later.

Waistcoat and trousers as well as gaiters were white. The latter were black in the field.

The sappers were, as usual, equipped with a white leather apron; there are also depictions of sappers in a red coat with white insignia (before 1810).

The cloak was blue (dark sky-blue).

The marching uniform included iron-gray trousers.

The hat (bicorne) was worn with the undress tunic (single-breasted surtout). It was trimmed with yellow braids.

The single-breasted surtout was also worn by the veterans, with a red collar, red epaulettes and red front panels hanging down in front and red skirt flaps (see the illustration further below).

According to Philip Haythornthwaite the band comprised 30 drummers, 20 fife players and 14 musicians as well as the chef de musique, two tambour-maîtres and the drum major.

The musicians — not the drummers and fifers — of the Dutch Grenadiers wore a special uniform, namely sky-blue as the base color with yellow insignia with white facings and ribbon trim.

Full dress included bearskin caps with white bags. The plume was sky-blue at the bottom and white at the top.

The drum major wore a red bandolier which had silver or white trim (see the illustration further below).

His trousers were decorated with lacing.

The bell-tree bearer was dressed in an oriental style (see the illustration further below).

For the drummers it is also recorded that they sometimes wore a coat of reversed colors (base color red).

The shoulder boards of the drum major’s full uniform cost 296,23 Fr.; those of the undress uniform, 196 F; of the drum master (there were two), 96,25 Fr.; of the conductor 144,20 Fr. and of the drummer and pioneers, 25 Fr. (Cdt. Bucquoy, Les Uniformes du Premier Empire, La Garde Imperiale, Troupes a pied, p. 69).