Napoleon I was crowned Emperor of the French on a cold December 2nd in 1804. Napoleon planed his coronation with as great a care as he did his wars. The task of organizing the coronation was given to L. Ph. de Ségur, the Grand master of Ceremonies, and A. L. de Rémusat, then First Chamberlain. The architects Percier and Fontaine took care of the temporary decorations and Jean Baptiste Isabey (1767-1855) designed the costumes.
It was in March of 1804 that the senate offered First Consul Bonaparte the title of emperor. The French Senate voted a law on May 18, 1804 whose first article reads: "The government of the Republic is vested in an Emperor, who takes the title of Emperor of the French."
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