The temperature was forecast to never get much above freezing so we bundled up for the walk to Earl’s Court Underground station. Thirty minutes later we were at Russell Square with only a short walk to the British Museum.
The Museum is open every day of the year except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. And today, as it turns out! After freezing in the unmoving line for half an hour word trickled down the queue that an underground electrical fire nearby had disrupted power and the museum would be closed all day. On to Plan B, another ride on the Underground to Apsley House and Wellington Arch.
Of course we knew that the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. We have eaten Beef Wellington and have even worn “wellies,” the practical and unfashionable boots that bear his name. For most of his military career, however, the future 1st Duke of Wellington was known as Arthur Wellesley, earning his title only after the first exile of Napoleon in 1814. After his military service, Wellington served as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Ireland from 1828 to 1830, the only Irishman to hold the post.
We learned all this . . . and more . . . at Apsley House, Wellington’s home in the heart of London at Hyde Park. Since we plan on returning to England in February, we invested £84 in an English Heritage “pensioners” pass. It gives us free entry into over 400 sites around England for a full year and we have already recouped £30 that we would have spent today.
We were reminded of how informative and professional the English Heritage audio-guides are as we toured room after room filled with Wellington’s campaign souvenirs, military honors and gifts and his extensive art collection. It was surprising how many statues and paintings he had of his arch-rival Napoleon Bonaparte. Like trophy heads mounted on the wall, maybe.
A docent interrupted our tour to tell us that a group from the Household Cavalry Mounted Division would be riding by shortly. Several of us gathered at the window to watch them just as Wellington probably had.
Just across the busy street atop Hyde Park’s Constitution Hill, we visited Wellington Arch, another English Heritage site, so named because it once held a statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback. When the arch was moved to its current location Wellington’s statue was replaced by the current one of Nike, the Goddess of Victory descending on the Chariot of War, the largest bronze sculpture in Europe. Nearby, Wellington still sits astride his horse watching the London traffic.
