Henry I of Haiti: the little-known story of a king and his amazing building spree
A short but fascinating book about a man immortalised through architecture
It can be assumed with some confidence that not many readers will be familiar with its central character King Henry I Christophe of Haiti, whose brief reign was marked, if not immortalised, by an extraordinary burst of building projects.
Following the collapse of French rule in Haiti, he elbowed his way through chaos and carnage to become ruler of the northern half of the country in 1807, initially as president. Following his self-proclamation as king in 1811 he created a regime that was truly Janus-faced.
On the one hand, it was a parody of Napoleon’s court (itself a parody of the ancien régime) complete with a constellation of nobles (four princes, seven dukes, 22 counts and so on), an elaborate hierarchy, sumptuous livery and a corps of African bodyguards delightfully known as the Royals-Bonbons. On the other hand, King Henry proved to be an energetic and enlightened if autocratic reformer, building hospitals, providing free health care, founding numerous schools, codifying the laws and promoting trade and manufacturing.
His achievements won the praise of numerous contemporaries who observed them at first-hand, including Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society. Alas, it all ended in tears. In October 1820, after a reign of just nine years, he shot himself (reportedly with a silver bullet) rather than face the insurrectionaries breaking into his palace.
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Following the collapse of French rule in Haiti, he elbowed his way through chaos and carnage to become ruler of the northern half of the country in 1807, initially as president. Following his self-proclamation as king in 1811 he created a regime that was truly Janus-faced.
On the one hand, it was a parody of Napoleon’s court (itself a parody of the ancien régime) complete with a constellation of nobles (four princes, seven dukes, 22 counts and so on), an elaborate hierarchy, sumptuous livery and a corps of African bodyguards delightfully known as the Royals-Bonbons. On the other hand, King Henry proved to be an energetic and enlightened if autocratic reformer, building hospitals, providing free health care, founding numerous schools, codifying the laws and promoting trade and manufacturing.
His achievements won the praise of numerous contemporaries who observed them at first-hand, including Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society. Alas, it all ended in tears. In October 1820, after a reign of just nine years, he shot himself (reportedly with a silver bullet) rather than face the insurrectionaries breaking into his palace.
