The bicorne was widely worn until World War I as part of the full dress of officers of most of the world's navies. It survived to a more limited extent between the wars for wear by senior officers in the British, French, US, Japanese and other navies until World War II but has now almost disappeared in that context. This is a very exciting and significant discovery," said Simon Cottle, Bonhams Head of Sale. "The bicorne can be dated to the early 19th century, the material is beaver felt exactly as in the Poupart hats and – crucially – the DNA research has established beyond all reasonable doubt that this was indeed the hat of the Emperor Napoleon." Jean-Léon Gérôme, 'Napoleon during his campaign in Egypt', 1863, oil on panel, Hermitage Museum. Photo public domain The Manchester Guardian account of his death informed readers: “As he found his end approach, he was habited, at his own request, in his uniform of field marshal, with the boots and spurs, and placed on a camp bed, on which he was accustomed to sleep when in health, and preferred to every other. In this dress he is said to have expired.”

Until about 1965 Foreign Office Regulations and Consular Instructions had required even junior foreign service officers to acquire this formal dress, following completion of their probation period. However, by the end of the 20th century the use of this uniform had greatly diminished. Described by Bonhams as the ‘first hat to bear the emperor’s DNA’, the hat is currently being previewed in Hong Kong, before it moves to Paris and then London, where it will be sold on 27 October. Royal Decree No. 1038 of 8 March 1928 established uniforms for diplomatic and consular officers, consular commissioners, interpreters, and hot weather. The basic uniform was of dark turquoise, except for the hot-weather uniform, which was white. By Decree of the President of the Republic No. 1125 of 21 June 1948, Fascist and royal emblems were replaced with republican symbols. [8] Following the issuance of the decreto legge of 25 June 2008, No. 112, converted into law on 6 August 2008, No. 133, [14] in particular the article No. 24, annex "A" No. 334, repealed the 1928 royal decree. [15] Therefore, it is not clear whether the diplomatic uniform is in force or not, since the 1948 presidential decree has not been repealed. Sergey Lavrov, Igor Ivanov". Sulekha. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013 . Retrieved 23 October 2013. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, former Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, center, both wearing official Russian diplomatic uniform, and Head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Yevgeny Primakov, former Prime Minister, share a laugh after a meeting marking the professional holiday in Moscow, Wednesday, 10 Feb. 2010. (AP Photo) Risk, James; Pownall, Henry; Stanley, David; Tamplin, John (2001). Royal Service (Volume II). Lingfield, Surrey: Third Millennium. p. 103.Davis, Robert Ralph (1968). "Diplomatic Plumage: American Court Dress in the Early National Period". American Quarterly. 20 (2): 164–179. doi: 10.2307/2711029. ISSN 0003-0678. JSTOR 2711029. Whitehead, Tom (18 March 2012). "New Royal Navy uniforms to involve baseball caps and Velcro". The Daily Telegraph. London . Retrieved 2012-03-24. Napoléon Bonaparte in his characteristic side-to-side bicorne hat (left); Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz wearing a fore-and-aft bicorne Aeplis Diplomaten-Uniform im HVM St.Gallen". Aepli Gesellschaft (in German). 10 August 2021 . Retrieved 1 August 2022. Fortunately, collectors need no longer despair as they now have a chance to get their hands on a newly-discovered hat with DNA evidence linking it to Napoléon as it heads to auction this month with Bonhams.

Current edit Female UK diplomatic uniform, as worn by the Vice-Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in 2014The new Spanish ambassador in the Vatican presents his credentials to the Pope". 18 June 2012 . Retrieved 3 June 2016. In 1825, the white breeches were replaced by trousers for officers serving in the United Kingdom, although the practice of wearing white trousers with naval uniforms (popularly known as “Wei-Wei Rig”) continued for officers serving overseas (e.g. in the West Indies and China) until 1939. Throughout the nineteenth century, there was great variation; officers paid for their own uniforms, and often adapted it to fit civilian fashion of the time, as the Admiralty regulations were not highly prescriptive. [1] Plischke, Elmer (1999). U.S. Department of State: A Reference History. Greenwood Press. pp. 148–150(1999 edition). ISBN 978-0-313-29126-5.

The uniform of a Field marshal of the Imperial Ethiopian Army, which was used during the early 20th century by Emperor Haile Selassie, had a Bicorne which was specially adorned with a golden lion's mane. [5] Gallery edit New Director of Protocol takes office". Embassy Network. 20 December 2015 . Retrieved 2 September 2020.

Diplomatic Uniforms at the Holy See". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 17 August 2015 . Retrieved 2 June 2016. Few historical figures can be identified so easily by their hats as Napoleon Bonaparte. The bicorne, a headpiece originally designed for equestrian activities that became a male standard in the 18th century, was worn so frequently by the Emperor of the French that it has become a defining feature of his dress.

a b Diplomatic Protocol 2.0: Tradition and Innovation at the service of foreign affairs (PDF). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. 2014. [ dead link] Napoleon was an undeniably brilliant leader who triumphed on the battlefield aged just 30. While he is remembered first for his military prowess, Sotheby’s said he had a strong understanding of the political power of art.Dajō-kan Edict No. 373 29 December 1872. Taireifuku oyobi tsūjōreifuku chakuyoubi no ken ( 大礼服及通常礼服著用日ノ件). View here. Diplomatic uniforms generally followed 19th century court fashion and usually included a tailcoat with standing collar, breeches or pantaloons, a sword and a two-cornered plumed hat (" bicorne"). There were normally at least two versions, a dress uniform for ceremonial events and a simpler version for less formal occasions which nevertheless required the use of uniform dress. [1] Unlike their military and naval counterparts, diplomats did not wear uniforms for everyday purposes but substituted the appropriate civilian clothing. The sale, from 15-22 September, will have about 100 lots and includes visual art, sculpture, silverware, furniture, porcelain, jewellery, photography as well as memorabilia.