Watch Your Head

Copyright Tan and Trev 2005

South of the Throne Hall are the Royal Treasury and the villa of Napoleon III (Napoleon Bonaparte's Nephew).

The building bears no resemblance to Khmer architecture. The gray metal building was gift built in 1866, not in Cambodia, but rather in Egypt. There it served the French Empress Eugenie as accommodation on occasion of the opening of the Suez Canal. One year later Napoleon III gave the villa to the Cambodian king as a present. It was shipped across and re-assembled in the Palace grounds.

This art nouveau villa certainly would not look out of place in our street. But here it is dwarfed by exotic spires and pagodas arcing into the sky and the glittering treasures of the Silver Pavilion.

The iron house was given to King Norodom of Cambodia who ruled Cambodia from 1860 to 1904. It is somewhat ironic given the changes made to another gift elswhere in the grounds. East of the Silver Pagoda is an equestrian monument of King Norodom - which is actually a monument of the French Emperor Napoleon III. The head of the original statue was removed and replaced with one showing King Norodom.