At her death in 1825, the Princess bequeathed her wonderful travelling service by Napoleon’s official goldsmith, Martin-Guillaume Biennais, to the duke 'as a mark of my friendship'. Tactfully, she also left two Sèvres vases to the Duchess of Hamilton and a ring set with opals to their daughter, Lady Susan Hamilton. Significantly, the Princess made her bequest to the duke at the beginning of her will, among the bequests to her relatives. The gifts to her other British admirers and supporters -the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Gower and Lord Holland -come much later.

The 10th Duke of Hamilton collected the travelling service during his visit to Italy in 1827, and subsequently took it to the Parisian goldsmith Charles Cahier to check that all the pieces listed in an Italian inventory were present or accounted for. It was acquired by the National Museums of Scotland in 1986, with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the National Art Collections Fund.