Start 1861: I just inherited the Dutch throne

Chapter 1166: An unreasonable request for a state visit?

Napoleon III was helpless and had no choice.

But he was even more helpless about Queen Eugenie's unfriendly attitude towards him.

In 1859, he ambitiously sought control of France. Under his rule, France joined forces with the Kingdom of Sardinia to fight against the Austrian Empire. France had no obvious reason to join the war, but the Bonaparte family always had a special feeling for Italy.

When Napoleon III personally led his troops to Italy, Queen Eugenie became regent, which allowed Eugenie to enter the circle of French political decision-makers.

Eugenie never left this circle and also played a role in decision-making in France.

In 1865, during Napoleon III's second inspection tour to Algeria, a colony in southern Mediterranean Africa, domestic affairs were handed over to Queen Eugenie, who served as regent of France for the second time.

On July 1870, 7, France declared war on Prussia and the Franco-Prussian War broke out. Napoleon III, as emperor and commander-in-chief of the French army, went to the front line to command the army together with the nearly 19-year-old Crown Prince Eugene Louis Jean Joseph.

After the departure of Emperor Napoleon III, the French government resumed the solution adopted during the war of 1859, with the third regency in Paris to manage the French government.

Even during her three short terms as regent of France, Queen Eugenie worked diligently, read important works, frequently attended ministerial meetings, expressed her unique insights, and made decisions, playing an important role in French political affairs.

This is also the reason why Napoleon III, who had become a sickly person, chose to transfer part of his power to the other party in recent years. Queen Eugenie was even in a semi-regent state in these years.

Just like just now, Queen Eugenie brought back to Napoleon III, who was lying in bed, a letter from William IV of the Netherlands to the French royal family, Napoleon III and his wife, to hold a commemoration of the 1883th anniversary of the Seven Years' War in Amsterdam on May 5, 20, and indicated that invitations had been sent to royal families all over the world.

This news made Queen Eugenie curious and Napoleon III was devastated.

To be honest, Napoleon III still feels extremely depressed about this and wonders how he ended up in this situation.

In 1862, the French emperor was second only to Britain in power in Europe. The Netherlands even had to rely on France to resist British infiltration. After all, the Netherlands had to face the Kingdom of Belgium supported by Britain at that time.

But he didn't know since when, he actually began to lead France step by step into the abyss, causing France to decline to this day. Not only was France forcibly divided by Germany, but Britain nominally supported him but actually secretly supported Germany's actions.

The Netherlands, which once relied on France, has finally become a being that can compete with Britain without losing its luster. He even has to admit that France now needs the help of the Netherlands to fight against Britain and Germany.

Well, this great country of France has indeed now fallen into its own hands, just as its citizens outside say.

Napoleon III had to accept this sad fact, which was why he threw political power to Eugenie and acted like an ostrich for so many years. This fact was too cruel.

I recalled how high-spirited my uncle Napoleon I was, and how tragic his end was.

Napoleon III couldn't help but shudder in his heart.

He waved his hands on the bed and said weakly, "Eugenie, since the other party has already sent out an invitation, let's reply to them. We will definitely attend on time."

Queen Eugenie couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. At this time, Napoleon III's voice came again, "However, I invite us to pay a state visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands at that time."

state visit?

Eugenie was stunned when she heard this.

A state visit is not an ordinary visit. A state visit refers to a visit made by the most important leader of a country at the invitation of the highest leader of another country.

The reception is very formal and is arranged in full accordance with diplomatic etiquette, including a red carpet, review of the guard of honor, and 21-gun salutes.

Usually the host country will send senior protocol officials to the dock to welcome their arrival. It is a state visit of the highest level and they enjoy the highest treatment.

Unlike state visits, ordinary visits by heads of government are generally called official visits. Official visits refer to visits made by a head of state or government at the invitation of another head of state or government, mainly for consultations on certain major issues. The protocol treatment is slightly lower than that of a state visit. For example, the number of cannon salutes fired is 19 instead of 21.

The next level of visit is generally called an informal friendly visit.

An informal visit refers to a temporary visit by a head of state of one country when visiting another country and stopping over in a third country on the way, or a visit by a leader of a country to another country in a private capacity. This type of visit has the lowest protocol standards, may not have various ceremonies arranged, and the purpose of the visit usually does not involve the interests and development of the two countries.

To sum up carefully, a state visit is the highest level of visit, with a full set of the highest level of protocol treatment; the protocol treatment of a formal visit is slightly lower than that of a state visit, and is mainly used to negotiate major issues; as for an informal visit, it is the lowest level of protocol treatment and usually does not involve major interests and developments between the two countries.

This level of diplomatic visits, including state visits, official visits and informal visits, is a diplomatic move to receive foreign leaders that was first proposed by King William IV of the Netherlands during his 21 years in power in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands usually only hosts one state visit a month, and that is only for leaders of non-ally or European powers.

Or it could be a treatment that is only granted when the head of a country that has huge interests in the Netherlands visits.

Now Napoleon III asked the Netherlands to agree to his state visit to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the Netherlands' participation in the Seven Years' War. Will the Netherlands agree?
Eugenie felt uncertain.

If it were 20 years ago, I believe William IV of the Netherlands would have been extremely happy to agree. After all, France was extremely powerful at that time, and the Netherlands needed to please France to hedge against Britain.

But now the power comparison between the two countries has undergone amazing changes. France has become weaker and the Netherlands has become stronger.

The French Emperor visited the Netherlands and needed to rely on a state visit to save face. Eugenie couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

She looked at Napoleon III and said, "I will ask someone to propose this to the Netherlands, but I don't know if the Netherlands will agree to your condition."

Napoleon III said grimly, "On what grounds do they refuse?"

Eugenie sneered in her heart, but said: "I am afraid that the Netherlands will allow Queen Victoria to visit the country. If that happens."

Hearing this, Napoleon III's face became even uglier. Britain?

If it were Queen Victoria of England, the Netherlands might actually reject the conditions of the scale of her visit.

Damn, it's Britain again.

Napoleon III couldn't help but become depressed again.

However, he still hoped for a miracle to happen.

Of course, in order to achieve his goal, he told Queen Eugenie some of his ideas for diplomatic actions that would be friendly to the Netherlands, which left Eugenie stunned.

As expected, it is you who sells out national interests for the sake of face.

It's you, His Majesty Napoleon III!
(End of this chapter)