… We are discussing the French royals because they were THE influence over American fashion for most of the period we depict. Napoleon I took power by force from the long line of Bourbon kings – the rule which ended with the beheading of Marie Antoinette.
The Bonaparte family ruled and populated many regions and redefined countries. As the 1800’s progressed, they married into, and made liasons political and social with leaders of many countries – influencing even those who were most influential.
(pictured in 1858: the 4 most influential male Bonapartes of lineage: Napoleon I, Napoleon II, Napoleon III, and Napoleon IV (Charles Louis))