Emily Rowles

As a girl Emily Rowles lived at Camden Place with her family – we believe for about 3 years. The house was rented out to a succession of tenants following the murder of the Bonars.  The Bonars

Why the family was here is unclear, possibly they were having a property built somewhere in Chislehurst.

What is clear is that in her debutante year, the young Emily meets the exiled Prince Louis Napoleon. There are gifts and talk of engagement. We are less certain that there was a visit to Chislehurst and Camden Place – but it does seem like Napoleon lll knew of the property before Nathaniel Strode purchased it in the 1860’s.

The relationship between the exiled Prince and Emily was interrupted by his second unssuccessful coup attempt. This time he was sentenced to prison in perpetuity at the Castle in Ham on the Somme – where he stayed for 5 years. The two stayed in touch but when he escaped and returned to England the love affair seems to have been over. Possibly the fact he now had two illegitimate sons  with the laundress from the castle at Ham, or a new love affair that was starting with the actress Harriet Howard, dampened the relationship.

However, they remained  in touch. and when she died she was still in receipt of a pension from the French Civil List.