In 1808, the Hôtel Matignon passed into the hands of one of the best-known figures of the first half of the 19th century: Monsieur de Talleyrand, Prince of Bénévent and Deputy Great Elector. Four times a week he gave dinners for 36 guests, prepared in his kitchens by the renowned Boucher. As the shrewd diplomat that he was, he held a great number of balls in honour of the imperial family. In 1811, Napoleon called on Talleyrand to reimburse the city of Hamburg the four millions it had paid him to avoid incorporation into the new French "département" of the Bouches-de-l'Elbe. As the endeavour had failed, Talleyrand did not consider it necessary to return the sum. He was obliged to put the Hôtel for sale; the Emperor had it purchased for 1,280 000 Francs ... but Talleyrand never reimbursed Hamburg.