In 1653, the ancient tomb of Childéric, King of the Franks from 457-481 and the father to Clovis, was discovered by chance near the church of Saint-Brice in modern day Belgium.

The artifacts presented to King Louis XIV of France included Byzantine coins, jewels from Childéric's sword and dagger, a Frankish axe blade, a Roman commander's cloak shoulder-clasp, a crystal ball, and 300 Golden Bees that were used to decorate the King's royal coat.

To the Merovingians, the bee was a hallowed creature and a symbol of wisdom. The Merovingian bees inspired Napoleon, who adopted them as a symbol of the French Empire and wore the original Golden Bees clasped to his coronation robes in 1804.