THE FRENCH CONNECTION ...

The French house of Bonaparte has fascinating links with Hoogekraals ...

Louis Prince Imperial, shortly before his death at the hands of the Zulu. He lies buried in the crypt of Saint Michael's Abbey, Farnborough ...

When the Prince Imperial and his widowed mother, the Empress Eugene, settled near Farnborough after the exile and death of Napoleon III; He continued to show a growing interest in the military. He enrolled at the Woolwich Academy, and as soon as he was able, requested permission to visit the Cape and then proceed to Natal to observe in the Zulu wars. ...

His mother was still a close friend of Queen Victoria, and she no doubt put pressure where needed to ensure his request was granted. He landed at Cape Town with two officer friends, in March 1879 and was hosted by the Cloete family at Groot Constantia ...

A naval ball was held in his honour at the Admiralty in Simonstown, and everyone who held some esteem in the Cape was invited. The very beautiful Sophie Botha, of Hoogekraal, happened to be visiting Cape Town at the time, and she was also invited. It seems that the Prince and Sophie fell in love, and the records of the Admiralty show that he danced with her nearly all night. She returned to Hoogekraal.

The Prince and colleagues followed by ship. disembarking, to travel by horse to Hoogekraal. A day or two later, Sophie, her two sisters, the Prince and his two friends went on a picnic. Tragically, after falling into the "Maalgate" River (mincing holes), Sophie was drowned. The devastated Prince and his friends resumed their voyage to Durban soon after.

On arrival at Durban, and against the Natal Governor's warnings, the despairing Prince volunteered to accompany a small band into the Zululand battlefield. On June 1st, while they were resting in the veld, they were surprised by an ambush of Zulu warriors. In mounting to flee the assegais, the Prince's saddle-girth broke. He fell and was slain. Found later with only a locket around his neck, he was buried under a cairn near to where he died. The world mourned the tragic death of this 23 year old romantic Prince.

While at Hoogekraal, the Prince and Sophie exchanged gifts; his dressing mirror was the only suitable gift he had with him. He sent an urgent message to his mother for some jewels to be sent, from her world famous collection. The jewels, sadly, arrived after both the Prince and Sophie had died. The old mirror now hangs in the Supper Room at Hoogekraal.

The Empress never recovered from the shock of losing her dear son. She came to the Cape six months after his death, and while staying at Groot Constantia, she planned a visit to Hoogekraal, en route to the Zulu Battlefield.

Mrs. Botha offered to give back the jewels to the Empress, but Eugene insisted they were a gift for the family of her son's beloved Sophie. Part of that gift still exists in the care of an aunt of the one owner of Hoogekraal.
French visitors to Hoogekraal have shown great interest in this legend, and some have subsequently sent pictures, photo's, books, copies of documents, extracts from the tomb inscription at Farnborough, etc. for display in the Supper Room named after the Prince Imperial ...