Wellington

Apsley House was the London townhouse of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the famous military leader who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. It was originally built in the 1770s for Lord Apsley, the Lord Chancellor. 

Apsley House was given the nickname Number One, London, since it was the first house visitors passed when travelling from the countryside after the Knightsbridge toll gates. The photo below is of the keyhole and cover on the inside of the front door. 

At the base of the staircase in the photo below is a very tall, very naked marble sculpture of Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker, that Napoleon commissioned for himself. It was purchased from Louis XVIII by the British government who granted it to the Duke of Wellington. The audio guide said that Napoleon was embarrassed when he saw the completed work because the physique was too athletic so he banned the public from seeing the sculpture. 

An annual dinner was held in the Waterloo Gallery inside Apsley House every year to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon. To mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo, that banquet set up was recreated for the tour. It was amazing to see the elaborate gold centrepieces from the Portuguese Service that was used by the aristocrats in the 1800s. Unfortunately, since photography is frowned upon I only have ceiling shots (thanks to my friend and her awesome stealth photography skills).  

We also went up to the top of the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, which is just across the street from Apsley House. It was built to commemorate Britain's victory in the Napoleonic Wars. 

It is topped with a sculpture of winged Nike (the goddess of victory) descending on a chariot of war drawn by four horses. The arch is hollow inside and housed a small police station until 1992. The inside is now a museum and visitors can go up to a viewing deck. 

The original top of the arch was a giant sculpture of a caped Wellington on his horse. I much prefer the current sculpture to the original, which you can see in this old photo from the museum. To this day, only the Duke of Wellington and members of the royal family are allowed to drive through the archway.

I enjoyed both these sights and learning more about Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington. The view from the top of the arch is not as impressive as others in London so I'll probably just see it from the ground from now on. 

And yes, the name of rain boots (wellies) does come from the Duke of Wellington. He notoriously wore a leather version and they became a staple of hunting and outdoor wear for the British aristocracy in the early 19th century. Because of that, he was often depicted in editorial cartoons as a boot with a head, like this rendition at the Duke of Wellington pub in Notting Hill.