Loïc Dubigeon’s 1994 L’Entente Cordiale Hermès© carré is a beautiful retelling of a very important political visit between Britain and France, which took place on September 2nd 1843 when Queen Victoria met with Louis Philippe I on French soil.
It had been nearly three hundred years since a British monarch had visited a French monarch, so it was no wonder that Queen Victoria’s pilgrimage to France sparked such a worldwide interest.
The fact that three years prior, Britain and France were on the brink of war, further contributed to making this meeting such a significant event.
Louis Philippe I, the King of the French, hosted the British royal and her entourage at Château d’Eu.
In his design, Loïc Dubigeon, captures wonderful highlights of this royal visit from ships landing in Cherbourg Normandy to coaches arriving at Château d’Eu.
At the very center of his design are none other than the silhouettes of the two monarchs. With Queen Victoria’s initials and monogram being on our right along with the lion, the symbol of the British empire and King Louis Philippe I on our left. The rooster, a longtime symbol of France, perches on top of the center medallion.
This meeting was by all accounts a success as illustrations of the two monarchs strolling the grounds of Château d’Eu circulated the globe.
A friendly understanding, an Entente Cordiale, between the two imperial powers had been forged, albeit less formal than an alliance, it marked a new course for both monarchies.
I invite you to take a stroll through the many vignettes of this carré, which so vividly document this historic event, the L’Entente Cordiale, between Britain and France …
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