Blog category: Duke of Wellington
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The Duke of Wellington and Religion
March 18, 2022
The Duke of Wellington, best known for commanding the coalition of forces that defeated Napoleon’s army at the Battle of Waterloo, was a man of sincere, unpretentious religious belief and habits. His attendance at church was not just a matter of duty or keeping up appearances. He had faith in God, and a belief that he was under God’s protection.
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Assassination Attempts on the Duke of Wellington
October 29, 2021
Although the Duke of Wellington did not face as many assassination attempts as Napoleon did, there were at least two serious plots to assassinate him. In the first attempt, the bullet fired by the would-be assassin failed to hit the Duke. The second attempt, in which Wellington was one of many intended victims, was foiled before it could be carried out.
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The Duke of Wellington and Women
March 19, 2021
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, attracted plenty of female attention. Wellington was very much at ease with women and enjoyed their company, especially if they were good-looking and intelligent. Stuck in an unhappy marriage, he developed many close friendships with women and had numerous mistresses.
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The Duke of Wellington and Children
June 12, 2020
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was fond of children and children were very fond of him.
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The Duke of Wellington’s Shooting Adventures
March 22, 2019
Despite his skill as a military commander, Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, was not particularly adept at handling a gun. This led to some noteworthy incidents after he retired from the battlefield.
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The Wellington Door Knocker & Other Door Knocker History
February 23, 2018
Napoleon in America opens with a knock on a door, disturbing Sir Hudson Lowe at his toilet. Though that particular door on St. Helena did not sport a knocker inspired by the Duke of Wellington, many doors in England did. Door knockers were a common feature of 19th-century life, until they were replaced by the electric doorbell.
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Giuseppina Grassini, Mistress of Napoleon & Wellington
January 5, 2018
Giuseppina Grassini was a famous Italian opera singer of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Though her voice was a contralto, she worked it into a higher register to sing roles written for mezzo-sopranos. Napoleon Bonaparte was enraptured by the quality of Madame Grassini’s singing, as well as by her physical beauty. He took her as his lover and paid her to sing at his court for many years. Giuseppina Grassini also became the lover of Napoleon’s nemesis, the Duke of Wellington.
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What did the Duke of Wellington think of Louis XVIII?
June 2, 2017
Though Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, is usually associated with Napoleon Bonaparte, he had an equally large impact on Napoleon’s successor, King Louis XVIII. It was thanks to Wellington’s and Prussian Field Marshal von Blücher’s victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 that Louis XVIII, a member of the House of Bourbon, regained the throne of France. While Louis had a pronounced fondness for the British field marshal, Wellington thought rather less of the French king.
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Charades with the Duke of Wellington
January 27, 2017
Charades, which began in 18th-century France as a type of riddle, became a popular 19th-century parlour game. Sit in on a game played by the Duke of Wellington in 1821.
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When the Duke of Wellington Met Napoleon’s Wife
November 11, 2016
The Duke of Wellington met Marie Louise at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and again at the Congress of Verona in 1822. Lord Byron wrote a poem about it.
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Last Words of Famous People
February 19, 2016
Though not as well-known as Napoleon’s last words, here are the reported last words uttered by some other famous historical figures, including Louis XVIII, John Quincy Adams, the Duke of Wellington, and the Marquis de Lafayette.
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George Canning: Britain’s Intriguing Foreign Secretary
September 18, 2015
George Canning was a clever, ambitious and controversial politician who held important government posts during the Napoleonic Wars and aftermath. He later became the country’s shortest-serving prime minister.
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Dorothea Lieven, a Diplomat in Skirts
October 31, 2014
As the wife of the Russian ambassador to Great Britain from 1812 to 1834, Dorothea Lieven had easy access to royalty, ministers, diplomats and politicians. This, combined with her considerable social skills and political acumen, gave her more influence than any other woman of the time.
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The Duke of Wellington: Napoleon’s Nemesis
January 17, 2014
Napoleon Bonaparte and Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, never met or corresponded, and they fought only one battle directly against each other: Waterloo. Here’s what they thought of each other.
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Hudson Lowe Gets a Bad Rap
December 6, 2013
British general Sir Hudson Lowe was the governor of St. Helena during Napoleon’s imprisonment on the island. He lacked the tact and intelligence necessary to handle Napoleon well, but he had a difficult job.
We must confess that fate, which sports with man, makes merry work with the affairs of this world.
Napoleon Bonaparte