Saturday, 3 October 2026

Napoleon's flag on Elba with three golden bees and the find in Childeric's tomb

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A white banner with a red diagonal stripe and three golden embroidered bees, displayed under glass in a museum.

That famous flag of Napoleon on Elba, with its three golden bees. The bees may well have been the oldest symbol of the rulers of France. In 1653 an image of bees was discovered in the tomb of Childeric, father of Clovis I, founder of the Merovingian dynasty, who lived in the 5th century

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