 The former emperor clarified, however, that his reign was always a constant battle and a balance between preserving the monarchy and the integrity of the nation versus fealty to the French authorities.Ultimately, power devolved away from his person and into ideological camps and in the face of Diem's underestimated influences on factions within the empire.Bảo Đại died in a military hospital in Paris, France, on 30 July 1997.