The original marble work has been kept at the Musée d'Orsay since 1930. Before that, it belonged to Empress Eugenie, at her home in Farnborough. The statue on display at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Lille is one of the many plaster models produced to distribute the work throughout the Empire.
Taking the same form as the original statue, the plaster represents a child accompanied by his dog, and its composition, especially the child's pose, is modeled on François-Joseph Bosio's sculpture of Henri IV as a child.
Carpeaux knew the Prince well, as he was his sculpture teacher. That's why he chose to depict him faithfully.