Field Marshal Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, KG GCB (1769-1852), 1st Duke of Wellington, 1820 (c).Oil on canvas inscribed top right Stroehling Pinx. by Peter Edward Stroehling (1768-1826), 1820 (c).Half-length, wearing the cloak he wore at Waterloo possibly over the uniform of Colonel, Royal Horse Guards.Arthur Wellesley was commissioned in 1787 and saw action in the Netherlands during the Wars of the French Revolution (1793-1795). He then served in India where he conducted a number of successful campaigns, including the 2nd Maratha War (1803-1805). In 1809 he was appointed to command the Allied Armies in Portugal and Spain. He campaigned there for the next five years, finally carrying the war into France in 1814. He was created Duke of Wellington on 3 May 1814. In 1815 he commanded the Allied Army which, together with the Prussians, finally defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. Wellington subsequently embarked on a political career and was Prime Minister from 1826 to 1830.Wellington later said that, during the Battle of Waterloo, he put his cloak on and took it off about 50 times. An inscription at top left of this portrait refers to Wellesley, wearing the cloak he wore at Waterloo, sitting to Stroehling for Jane, Countess of Harrington (nee Fleming). Jane's husband was Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington, who had been John Burgoyne's aide de camp and later went on to be Colonel of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards, Commander-in-Chief in Ireland and governor of Windsor Castle. Oil on canvas

1769 1852 Aide Appointed Campaigned Campaigns Commanded Commissioned Conducted Defeated Embarked Finally Fleming Harrington Janes Maratha Prussians Refers Stanhope Subsequently Waterloo Wellesley Wellington Wore

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