 This appeared to confirm that Napoleon III' son would succeed him and was a bitter blow to the Republicans.The most distinguished members of the Left in the cabinet – LJ Buffet, Napoleon Daru and Auguste de Talhouët-Roy – resigned in April over the plebiscite.Ollivier himself held the ministry of foreign affairs for a month, until Daru was replaced by the duc de Gramont, Ollivier's evil genius.