When Napoleon returned from Elba in March 1815, the regiments rallying to him had to be issued new Eagles — the originals had been surrendered or destroyed after the first abdication. At the Champ de Mai on June 1, 1815, he presented these new standards to the army, the Grenadiers à Pied of the Imperial Guard among them. The bronze Eagle, modeled on the standards of the Roman legions, was the regiment's most sacred object. The Porte-Aigle swore to defend it to the death, and its loss in battle was a disgrace no unit ever lived down.

The figure shows the Porte-Aigle of the 1st Regiment of Grenadiers à Pied in full dress — the tall bearskin, dark blue coat with white lapels, and white breeches over black gaiters. He carries the Eagle on its blue-painted oak staff, the tricolor worked in gold embroidery with the regimental title on the face and battle honors on the reverse. In the field the bearer was flanked by two armed porte-aigle de 2e et 3e classe. Group him with a French Imperial Guard Company Officer and the Imperial Guard at Present Arms for a color-party honor guard, or add a French Imperial Guard Sapper for a full parade front.

W. Britain model 36224. 1/30 scale (approximately 60mm), matte-painted metal. Single foot figure with Eagle standard on a sculpted groundwork base. Boxed.