Duke Of Wellington's former home

Here I am outside Aspley House, the former home of the Duke Of Wellington. It’s at Hyde Park Corner in central London and the current 9th Duke retains the top floor of the place for  private use. Downstairs the rooms are open to the public (£11/ticket) and remain in the original Georgian style befitting a duke.

The Duke bought this Grade I mansion it from his brother (who was low on cash) with £700,000 given to him by the country after he defeated Napoleon (equates to £90 million in today's prices.) If you post a letter to “Number 1, London'” it will be delivered here. Photos of this place are deceptive - it sits inside a large busy traffic roundabout but in the 1800s London was semi-rural. It was called Number One as it was the first house travellers or visitors came across when arriving from the countryside.

The Duke - real name Arthur Wellesley - was given an outrageous fortune following his great victory at Waterloo in 1815. He was 48 years old when he bought this place after a prestigious career. He was a Field Marshal and Prime Minister (twice) - a busy man as during his lifetime as Britain was constantly at war with its European neighbours. 

His famous success came in the Napoleonic Wars. He sent a defeated Napoleon into exile to the island of Elba (an island between Italy and Corsica.) Eventually Napoleon escaped and regained control of France. The allied coalition led by the British fought Napoleon's French army. Many fights and clashes  came to a head in a nine hour battle in plush countryside in Belgium. This was the famous Battle Of Waterloo which started - and finished  - on Sunday 18th June 1815 and the blood, guts and ghoulish deaths happened within just two square miles. The Duke and Napoleon were both there in person. Here the Duke vanquished Napoleon once and for all.

With his new fortune and dukedom Arthur bought this house in 1817 in his late thirties. He married and had two children but the unhappy union lead to other romantic adventures. He died at his other home Walmer Castle in Kent. Feeling unwell one morning after a series of seizures he was helped to his chair where he died of a stroke aged 83. Before the huge funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral the Duke's body lay in state for one week. The royal family walked by him as did many thousands of people (a stampede resulted in several people being crushed to death.) At he was taken to St Paul's Cathedral to be buried two million Londoners turned out to see the coffin for the last time.

In warm sunlight I stood on the grass in front of the duke's house. In history classes at school I remember learning about him and the famous Battle Of Waterloo.....and here I was by his house (too scruffy to go inside.) That was one bloody battle - the French had 72000 soldiers and the Anglo-allied had 68000. By the end of the day nearly 50,000 were wounded or dead (most stabbed.) As I stood in the sun I wondered then the duke last stood on the balcony and looked across to Buckingham Palace. I did a salute and left.

The 9th Duke...