Interview of Jean-Barthélémy Bokassa in Family Circle

The every day life of a prince

An interview with the eldest grandson of the late Emperor Bokassa

 

 Prince Jean-Barthélémy, the eldest grandson of the late ruler, Emperor Bokassa of the Central African Empire is a very friendly person. We have known each other only for a few months but he already invited me to visit him in Monaco where, as he wrote, he gave a party for his friends. Later he invited me to meet him in Paris. Although he knows much from the Central-European situation, as it is clearly seen from the interview, he was not actually informed about our financial possibilities...

    The 34-year-old Prince Jean-Barthélémy Bokassa, Duke of Bobangui lives in Paris, he is the editor of a publishing house and also wrote two books. He shares his life, the memories of his grandfather, family and his connection to Central-Europe with the readers of "Családi Kör" (Family Circle).

 

 

- Your Imperial Highness was a child when Your Grandfather, HIM late Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa had to leave the country. Despite of this, have You got any memories of the era of the Empire?

- I was living in my grandfather's palace in Bobangui (with my father, mother, sister and brother) and of course, like every children, I kept in my mind some souvenirs of different events and situations about living in the palace, particularly I remember about my little hind, Bamby, one of my grandfather's present. I was playing very often with it in the park.

- What was your childhood like?

 

- About my childhood, I precise my parents have given to me a very strict education and a reel capacity to face every kind of situations in a spirit of tolerance and acceptation of everybody in any case. A preceptor at home was responsible of our education (with my sister Marie-Catherine and my brother Gilles). At home, the palace's protocol was strictly managed: the children were dinning before parents, we employed the "french vous" to speak to mother, father, grandfather and relative... From my childhood, I keep a strong mental and a real capacity in establishing excellent relationship with others.

- Would You tell me something about Your parents, too?

- Unfortunately, my father has been arrested and killed after the putsch in 1979. He was doctor, specialist in cardiology and very aware of a Centrafrican's public healthcare in his quality
of Bokassa The first healthcare ministry. My first book dealing with my family story is dedicated to my father Jean-Bruno. Martine, my mother is living in Corsica and managing two Vietnamese restaurants, exactly as she has done in Bangui. Kitchen is for her exactly what literature is for me: a true passion!
For five years, she has bought a village in Cameroun to buid houses for people in many subdivisions. After the putsch, she passed me a Vietnamese education, since her mother was a Vietnamese lady. It happened so that my grandfather had met my grandmother in Vietnam in
Saïgon in 1951. Jean-Bedel was working in French army. Hué, my granmother and his first wife, was living there. They were buying somme foods in the local market place when they met.

 

My mother has encouraged me to succeed in my own passion. In my book, I relate his life from Vietnam to Bangui, Paris and Corsica. I am so proud of her...

 

- Your Imperial Highness was a child when Your Grandfather, HIM late Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa had to leave the country. Despite of this, have You got any memories of the era of the Empire?

- I was living in my grandfather's palace in Bobangui (with my father, mother, sister and brother) and of course, like every children, I kept in my mind some souvenirs of different events and situations about living in the palace, particularly I remember about my little hind, Bamby, one of my grandfather's present. I was playing very often with it in the park.

- What was your childhood like?

 

- About my childhood, I precise my parents have given to me a very strict education and a reel capacity to face every kind of situations in a spirit of tolerance and acceptation of everybody in any case. A preceptor at home was responsible of our education (with my sister Marie-Catherine and my brother Gilles). At home, the palace's protocol was strictly managed: the children were dinning before parents, we employed the "french vous" to speak to mother, father, grandfather and relative... From my childhood, I keep a strong mental and a real capacity in establishing excellent relationship with others.

- Would You tell me something about Your parents, too?

- Unfortunately, my father has been arrested and killed after the putsch in 1979. He was doctor, specialist in cardiology and very aware of a Centrafrican's public healthcare in his quality
of Bokassa The first healthcare ministry. My first book dealing with my family story is dedicated to my father Jean-Bruno. Martine, my mother is living in Corsica and managing two Vietnamese restaurants, exactly as she has done in Bangui. Kitchen is for her exactly what literature is for me: a true passion!
For five years, she has bought a village in Cameroun to buid houses for people in many subdivisions. After the putsch, she passed me a Vietnamese education, since her mother was a Vietnamese lady. It happened so that my grandfather had met my grandmother in Vietnam in
Saïgon in 1951. Jean-Bedel was working in French army. Hué, my granmother and his first wife, was living there. They were buying somme foods in the local market place when they met.

 

My mother has encouraged me to succeed in my own passion. In my book, I relate his life from Vietnam to Bangui, Paris and Corsica. I am so proud of her...