Royal Mail to issue Battle of Waterloo stamps for 200th anniversary | Daily Mail Online comments A new set of stamps showing key moments from Battle of Waterloo is being released to mark its 200th anniversary. The six stamps reproduce 19th century paintings of the battle where the French leader Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington in 1815. A miniature sheet is also being launched commemorating troops of the main nations involved, including the 92nd Gordon Highlanders and Light Infantry while mail will also be stamped with a special postmark to mark the famous battle's anniversary. The six stamps reproduce 19th century paintings of the battle where the French leader Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington in 1815 A miniature sheet is also being launched commemorating troops of the main nations involved, including the 92nd Gordon Highlanders and Light Infantry while mail will also be stamped with a special postmark to mark the famous battle's anniversary Royal Mail worked with historians on the stamp set, which features the large painting of the 'final attack' that hangs in Apsley House, London and was bought by Britain's military leader, the Duke of Wellington.

Often described as the day that changed European history the Battle of Waterlo is arguably the most famous battle in the history of the British Army. Napoleon's 70,000-strong army was led by his brother General Jerome Bonaparte and was faced by Wellington's 67,000-strong force with a further Prussian army of approximately 48,000 men. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share The battle took place on Sunday, June 18, 1815 and led to Napoleon's final defeat and the end of more than a quarter of a century of conflict. This week Prince Charles and the current Duke of Wellington today toured the Belgian battlefield at Waterloo where Napoleon Bonaparte's army was defeated to commemorate the battle. Evelyn Webb-Carter, chairman of charity Waterloo 200, said of the stamps: 'They are an excellent reminder of an important moment in European history. 'Waterloo heralded a significant period of peace in Europe when the nations we are familiar with today were established and flourished.

It is a moment in history we do well to reflect on and these stamps will help us to do so.' Andrew Hammond, director of stamps and collectibles at Royal Mail said: 'Our new stamps mark one of the most famous battles in British history, which also brought an end to the Napoleonic Wars.

'We pay tribute to the troops who took part with stamps showing the key events on the day.' Often described as the day that changed European history the Battle of Waterlo is arguably the most famous battle in the history of the British Army Royal Mail worked with historians on the stamp set, which features the large painting of the 'final attack' that hangs in Apsley House, London and was bought by Britain's military leader, the Duke of Wellington The battle took place on Sunday, June 18, 1815 and led to Napoleon's final defeat and the end of more than a quarter of a century of conflict Evelyn Webb-Carter, chairman of charity Waterloo 200, said of the stamps are an excellent reminder of an important moment in European history THE BATTLE WHICH CHANGED THE COURSE OF EUROPE'S DESTINY The Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815 stopped the advance of Napoleon across Europe and sent the great French emperor into exile for a second and final time. France's troops were defeated by a multi-national coalition, led by the British army under the command of the Duke of Wellington.

The armies amassed near the town of Waterloo in modern-day Belgium, not far from the border with France, and it was the French who made the first move around 11am. The Duke of Wellington's success at the Battle of Waterloo (pictured) was preceded by an improbable victory breaking up Napoleon's brother Joseph Bonaparte's armies The two sides clashed for 10 hours, with the British fending off repeated attacks from the French, until Marshal Blücher arrived at the head of a Prussian army. This was the decisive intervention which finished Napoleon off, allowing Wellington to counter-attack and forcing the Frenchman to surrender. The battle forced Napoleon from the throne of France, leading to his exile on St Helena - but Wellington later admitted it was 'the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life'. Despite the popular image of Waterloo as a heroic endeavour, it was also the scene of brutal slaughter as thousands of troops were killed, with the French bearing the brunt of the losses. Europe: Battle of Waterloo 200th Anniversary | June 18, 1815 - YouTube Europe: Battle of Waterloo 200th Anniversary | June 18, 1815 Want to watch this again later?

Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 18, 2015 200th anniversary of Battle of Waterloo | June 18, 1815 | June 18, 2015 The Battle of Waterloo is a milestone in European history, the last battle of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte’s army faced allied British-Prussian forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard von Blücher on 18 June 1815. The 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo on 18 J The 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 11 June 2015 By Pan Macmillan The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815, two hundred year’s ago this month. To mark this anniversary, we present this guide to its victor, the Duke of Wellington.

1. Born in a Barn Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, was born in Dublin in 1769 and into the ruling Anglo-Irish Protestant aristocracy. His father was the 1st Earl of Mornington and his brother Richard served as the Governor-General of India. Though Wellington probably didn't utter the much quoted bon mot about more than horses being born in stables, he never regarded himself as Irish. And while he attended Eton, it’s now also thought unlikely that he ever said that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton, though Samuel Smiles, among others, attributed the line to him. 2. The Military Man Despite nursing ambitions to become a musician and playing the violin, Wellington joined the army in 1787, after studying at the French military academy in Anjou. Following campaigns against the French in the Netherlands, Wellington made his name in India fighting in the Mysore and Mahratta Wars, winning a famous victory during the latter at Assaye in 1803, for which he was knighted.

After successfully banishing French forces from the Iberian Peninsular after a five-year campaign, the crowning glory of his military career came with victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Though a brilliant tactician and commander, Wellington was a reactionary product of his class and believed that only gentlemen could make effective military officers, once stating that: ‘The description of gentlemen of whom the army was composed, made, from their education, manners and habits, the best officers in the world, and to compose the officers of a lower class would cause the army to deteriorate.’ He also approved of the system where military commissions were bought and sold, arguing that ‘it is promotion by purchase which brings into the service…. men who have some connection with the interests and fortunes of country.’ 3. First Among Unequals Before becoming a military hero, Wellington had held a seat in the Irish Parliament and on his triumphant return from India was elected MP for Hastings in 1806. He served twice as Tory Prime Minister, firstly between 1828 and 1830, and again, for just a few weeks, in 1834.

On both occasions, he proved a mostly poor premier, perhaps having grown too used to giving orders rather than engaging in debate and building alliances. He did, however, succeed in passing the 1829 Catholic Relief Act, tirelessly supporting this bill as part of a wider scheme to grant Catholic emancipation. 4. The Iron Duke A resolute Tory and outspoken critic of any extension of the franchise beyond landowners, his opposition to parliamentary reform in the 1830s made him a focus of popular hatred. He was attacked by angry mobs of the streets of the capital and iron bars were fitted on the windows of his London home, Apsley House at Hyde Park, to prevent them being smashed. These metal defences, some believe, are what first gave rise to the nickname, The Iron Duke. 5. Unhappily Married Wellington had met Kitty Packenham, the daughter of Baron Longford, in 1791, when he was twenty-seven and she twenty-three. As the second son and a lowly army officer, he was considered a poor prospect and his offer of marriage rejected. Returning ten years later from India with a title and a string of military successes under his belt, the proposal was accepted.

But in the intervening period, Kitty, in Wellington’s words, had ‘grown ugly’ and the couple lived separately for most of their marriage. The Duke had numerous lovers; among them was the courtesan Harriette Wilson, who later risked damnation by publishing a memoir containing details of their affair. 6. Trains of Thought Though concerned that steam trains would allow the lower orders to move around more freely, the Duke travelled to Manchester for the opening of the Liverpool-Manchester railway on 15 September 1830. He shook hands with William Huskisson, the local MP and his political rival, moments before Huskisson fell under the wheels of Stephenson's Rocket and was fatally injured. 7. A Cool Customer Notoriously stern, his aloofness was acerbated by deafness later in life, and the loss of his back teeth which affected his speech and made him increasingly taciturn. 8. Royal Appointments On the death of George IV on 29 June 1830, Wellington acted as the king’s executor. Among his tasks was burning evidence of George’s ‘secret’ early marriage to his long-term mistress, Mrs Fitzherbert.

Along with the then Prime Minister George Canning, Wellington was one of the dignitaries assembled to confirm the legitimacy of Queen Victoria’s birth in 1819. 9. Death of the Duke Wellington died on 14 Sept 1852. Having just been offered some tea by his valet, his last words were, ‘Yes, if you please’. He was given a full state funeral at St Paul’s cathedral and his coffin processed through London in a special funeral car partially fashioned from a cannon captured at Waterloo. It is estimated that over a million people thronged to the capital to pay their respects, and the numbers of people squeezing themselves onto London’s streets was so vast that seven people were crushed to death in the melee.

>>The cad in The Angel and the Cad by Geraldine Roberts was the Duke of Wellington's nephew; find out more about him The Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo To mark the 200th anniversary, a history of the battle in the words of the men who fought and died there The Duke of Wellington and his officers, painted by William Heath The morning of June 18 1815 saw 180,000 men, 60,000 horses and 500 pieces of artillery crammed into 2½ sq miles of Belgian countryside. In the nine frantic hours that followed, a quarter-century of central European warfare was brought to a close, leaving more than 44,000 dead, dying and wounded on the field. It was an extraordinary event. Waterloo may have been “the nearest run thing you saw in your life” - as the Duke of Wellington famously described it - but it was also the turning point in the history of modern Europe, bringing Napoleon Bonaparte's rampage across the continent to an end and ushering in one of the most peaceful centuries of history.

Two hundred years later, it is right and fitting that we should remember a battle more brutal and more fiercely contested than any that had gone before. Wellington’s army was a smorgasbord of British, Dutch, German and Belgian troops, the majority of whom had never been in battle before. Most of their letters and reports were written immediately after the event, and their reactions are unsullied by reflection or discussion - an unexpurgated oral history of the battle. They don’t always tally with each other, but they do take us deeper into the battle and a step closer to imagining what it must have been like. This is raw history. ‘The moment has come to conquer, or perish’ The Interior of Hougoumont, painted by an unidentified artist Napoleon's proclamation to his army on June 15 “Soldiers, today the coalition against us wants the independence and the most sacred rights of France. They have begun the most unjust act of aggression: let us therefore march to meet them; they and we, are we not the same men? “The fools! One moment of good fortune blinds them. The oppression and the humiliation of the French people are beyond their power! If they enter France, they will find their graves!

“Soldiers! We have forced marches to make, battles to fight, dangers to face; but, with perseverance, victory will be ours; the rights, the honour and the welfare of our country will be reclaimed. “For all Frenchmen who have the courage, the moment has come to conquer or perish!” 'Morning of the Battle of Waterloo', pencil sketch, Ernest Crofts The battle looms: the night of June 17 As the Duke of Wellington made his plans that evening, it was widely thought in the ranks that Napoleon had vastly superior numbers, though the accepted number today puts the French at 69,000 with 250 cannon, and Wellington's forces at 67,000 with 150 cannon. Wellington had, it was later said, toured the whole area the previous year and observed that, if he were ever to fight for the defence of Brussels, he would do so at Waterloo because of the lay of the land there. The village stood a short distance from the Forest of Soignies, and the paved road from Brussels to Charleroi. To the right was a ravine, near Merbe Braine. To the left a hill above the hamlet of Ter la Haye.

Both were situated on a pass. The Allied front line could be formed atop a gentle ridge, giving it a tactical advantage. Map of the battlefields It was a restless night for Lieut Archibald Hamilton of the Royal Scots Greys: “In spite of the rain we slept pretty soundly, lying at our horses’ heads, they being formed in line, and linked together, but we were repeatedly awoke during the night by their taking fright at the lightning and thunder, at the same time advancing over us! But no one was hurt! And as the nights in the middle of summer are short, we arose with the day break; a miserable looking set of creatures we all were; covered with mud from head to foot, our white belts dyed with the red from our jackets, as if we had already completed the sanguinary work, which we were soon about to begin.” For Lieut Emanuel Biedermann of the 2nd Light Battalion, it was a night of foreboding: “There was no doubting that a decisive battle would be fought on the next day, and most men were probably given to grave reflections in the night, that very well could be, and indeed was, the last one for many of us.

I was confronted with the question: will you see your homeland and your loved ones again, or will your restless life be cut short by an enemy’s sword?” Major Arthur Rowley Heyland of the 40th Foot prepared detailed instructions for his pregnant wife Mary, and their six children, should he be killed the next day: “My dear Mary, “What I recommend my love in case I fall in the ensuing contest, is that my sons may be educated at the Military College, except Arthur, who is hardly strong enough: the hazards of a military life are considerable, but still it has its pleasures, and it appears to me of no consequence whether a man dies young or old, provided he be employed in fulfilling the duties of the situation he is placed in this world. “My Mary, let the recollection console you... that I die loving only you” “For yourself, my dearest, kindest Mary, take up your residence in Wales, or elsewhere if you prefer it, but I would advise you, my love, to choose a permanent residence. My daughters, may they cling to their mother and remember her in every particular.

“My Mary, let the recollection console you that the happiest days of my life have been from your love and affection, and that I die loving only you, and with a fervent hope that our souls may be reunited hereafter and part no more. “What dear children, my Mary I leave you. My Marianna...My Anne, my John. My children, may you all be happy and may the reflection that your father never in his life swerved from the truth and always acted from the dictates of his conscience, preserve you, virtuous and happy, for without virtue there can be no happiness. “Let my children console you, my love, my Mary. A R H” Major Heyland was one of more than 10,000 to fall the following day, amid nine hours of furious fighting that would decide the fate of Europe. Johann Frederick Matthai's depiction of the death of the Duke of Brunswick at Quatre Bras, in the days leading up to the main battle at Waterloo The day of the battle: June 18 As Wellington's army woke at Waterloo, they found that the overnight torrential rain had turned the ground to mud.

Looking out towards the French line, where the Emperor Napoleon’s army was gathering, their main concern was finding warmth and something to eat. “Half a cup of coffee without sugar and a piece of bread was all I had in the way of breakfast,” wrote Lieut Ernst Meier of the 2nd Light Dragoon Regiment. “Afterwards, I warmed my cold limbs with a moderate portion of Krambambuli [cherry liqueur]. Thus began the memorable June 18 1815.” Ensign Macready peered across the shallow valley, covered in tall grain, towards the ranks of French soldiers: “About half past 10 o’clock the enemy began moving his forces, and displayed strong columns of infantry and cavalry opposite every part of our position. A superb line of red lancers stretched from their left, far beyond our right flank, but from the nature of the ground, they were not much feared. [The British had the better strategic position.] “Thus stood the contending armies.

We (I mean the multitude) were not aware that Blücher [the Prussian field marshall, an ally] could afford us any assistance, as we heard that he was completely beaten and hotly pursued; but no British soldier could dread the result when Wellington commanded. Our poor fellows looked wretchedly, but the joke and laugh was bandied between them, heartily and thoughtlessly as in their happiest hours. “About 11 o’clock some rations and spirits came up; the latter was immediately served out to the men, but I dared not drink on my empty stomach. I had just stuck a ramrod through a noble slice of bull beef, when an aide de camp galloped up, and roared out, ‘Stand to your arms.’ We were in line in an instant.” Wellington, left, and Napoleon, right, met for their final showdown at Waterloo The battle began around 11am. Napoleon was at his station, near the inn of La Belle Alliance, with view of the entire battlefield. Initially he was on foot, pacing backwards and forwards, issuing orders. His adversary Wellington had stationed himself on a ridge to the rear of La Haye Sainte farmhouse.

Plainly attired, he calmly contemplated the scene. Hougoumont It started with an attack by a division of the French 2nd Corps, led by Jerome Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, on Hougoumont farmhouse and gardens, held by a 1,500-strong Allied force and standing between the two armies. If taken it would have uncovered the British flank and given the French an advantage over the whole line. Though hugely outnumbered, light companies from Gen Byng’s brigade of Guards and the Dutch Nassau Regiment defended their position fiercely. Ensign Macready witnessed the onslaught: “The obstinacy of the assailants was only exceeded by the gallantry of their opponents. For an hour and a half they were muzzle to muzzle and bayonet to bayonet. “Fresh bodies were poured in incessantly by the enemy, and the Guards repeatedly reinforced their comrades. I saw them amid the flames of the trees and outhouses, to which the French had set fire, alternately advancing and retiring, first the red and then the blue jackets prevailing. Around single trees whole companies lay dead.

“At length the overwhelming force of the enemy enabled him to establish himself in the orchard and gardens, and the building itself became the point of attack. From its doors and windows our gallant guardsmen poured an unceasing shower of bullets, and the enemy fell dead in heaps around them. “Repeated and successful sallies astonished the Frenchmen, and convinced them of the inutility of their perseverance. After two hours of most determined exertion they retired from this spot, leaving it covered with the bodies of their countrymen.” Pte Johann Peter Leonard of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Nassau Regiment, was at Hougoumont and recorded five successive French attacks: “The fifth was beyond description. The hornbeam trees of the garden alley, underneath which we stood, were razed by the immense cannonade and so were the beautiful tall trees along the outside of the farm. Walls were collapsing from both the heavy bombardment [and] the severe thunderstorm that raged above us, the likes of which I have never experienced before; one could not distinguish one from the other. The skies seemed to have been changed into an ocean of fire; all of the farm's buildings were aflame.

The soil underneath my feet began to shake and tremble, and large fissures opened up before my very eyes.” Napoleon’s failure to capture Hougoumont, despite pouring so many men into the task, is judged a crucial factor in his defeat at Waterloo, but those on the field of battle that day did not have the benefit of hindsight. The field of Waterloo the morning after, as depicted by the Scottish painter John Heaviside Clark La Haye Sainte The French attack on Hougoumont was accompanied by a heavy cannonade on Wellington's whole line, in preparation for an assault by the French infantry. This was repulsed, but the Allied infantry were then subjected to a massed charge of the French cavalry. Much of the fighting that afternoon concentrated on the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte. Friedrich Lindau of the 2nd Light Battalion, King's German Legion, was one of its defenders: “The crash of a thousand [French] rifles filled our ears, and a jubilant ‘En avant!’ could be heard.

They were backed up by two columns of enemy troops that marched at so rapid a pace that we said to each other: ‘The French are in such a hurry because they want to have their meals in Brussels today.’ Only until the enemy came close to our hedge did we open fire; it was so murderous that the ground was covered at once with a mass of wounded and dead.” Pte James Smithies, of the 1st Dragoons, gave a vivid description of the close combat that ensued: “The [French] cuirassiers had coats of steel, whilst we had no such protection; and then again their swords were much longer, which made it greater odds who would come victorious out of the fray. “On we rushed at each other, and, when we met, the shock was terrific. We wedged ourselves between them as much as possible, to prevent them from cutting, and the noise of the horses, the clashing of swords against their steel armour, can be imagined only by those who have heard it.

“These English fight admirably, but they must give way” Napoleon “There were some riders who had caught hold of each other's bodies - wrestling fashion - and [were] fighting for life, but the superior physical strength of our regiment soon showed itself, and we drove them from the ridge.” At 6pm, after successive failures, the French finally captured the farmhouse. They were now able to bring up artillery and bombard the closely packed squares of Allied infantry at close range. The Allies could not endure such punishment for long. But Wellington knew that help was on its way in the form of Field Marshal Blücher’s Prussian army, and that he need hold on only a few hours more. “These English,” Napoleon is said to have remarked to his chief of staff, Marshall Soult, “fight admirably, but they must give way.” Soult replied, “I think not. They prefer being cut to pieces.” A cartoon of Wellington and Napoleon Blücher’s Arrival It was late afternoon when the Prussian army began arriving at Napoleon’s right flank and rear.

“I now beheld,” recalled Sgt Matthew Colgan of the 18th Hussars, “one of the grandest sights I ever beheld, when all of a sudden, and as if by magic, the Prussians threw out their columns at a distance on our extreme left. What a spirit did it infuse into our minds.” Napoleon knew time and numbers were now against him and so made one more push, with his trusted Imperial Guard. But under Wellington’s direction it was repulsed, with the feared Imperial Guard, veterans of Napoleon's many campaigns in Europe, fleeing in terror. An astonished Ensign Macready described the retreat: “It was near seven o’clock, and our front had sustained three attacks from fresh troops, when the Imperial Guard were seen ascending our position, in as correct order as at a review. As they rose step by step before us, and crossed the ridge, their red epaulettes and cross belts, put on over their blue greatcoats, gave them a gigantic appearance, which was increased by their high hairy caps and long red feathers, which waved with the nod of their heads as they kept time to a drum in the centre of their column.

‘Now for a clawing,’ I muttered; and I confess, when I saw the imposing advance of these men, and thought of the character they had gained, I looked for nothing but a bayonet in my body, and I half breathed a confident sort of wish that it might not touch my vitals. “While they were moving up the slope, Halkett [his commander], as well as the noise permitted us to hear him, addressed us, and said, ‘My boys, you have done everything I could have wished, and more than I could expect, but much remains to be done; at this moment we have nothing for it but a charge.’ Our brave fellows replied by three cheers. 'I looked for nothing but a bayonet in my body' “The enemy halted, carried arms about 40 paces from us, and fired a volley. We returned it, and giving out ‘Hurra!’ brought down the bayonets. Our surprise was inexpressible when, pushing through the clearing smoke, we saw the backs of the Imperial Grenadiers. We halted, and stared at each other as if mistrusting our eyesight.

Some nine pounders from the rear of our right poured in the grape amongst them, and the slaughter was dreadful. In no part of the field did I see carcasses so heaped upon each other. I could not account for their flight, nor did I ever hear an admissible reason assigned for it. It was a most providential panic.” The collapse of the Imperial Guard quickly spread panic through the French ranks and many turned and fled. Wellington and Blücher [met] beside La Belle Alliance where the Duke agreed that his exhausted troops be spared the pursuit of Napoleon and the French, entrusting it to the fresher Prussians. Estimates put the French losses at Waterloo, dead, wounded and taken prisoner, at around 27,000. Over the whole campaign, the Prussians’ aggregate loss was stated officially as 33,132. Casualties among Wellington's army of British, Dutch and German troops were approximately 23,000. The view of the village of Waterloo, the day after the battle.

Drawn on the spot by an unidentified artist, depicting a field hospital on the right With the French in flight, pursued by the Prussians, the wounded Allied troops received medical attention. Lieut George Simmons of the 1st Battalion, 95th Rifles, was among them: “Most of the men with me were killed, so it was some time before any officer noticed me, and not until I had been trampled over many times. The next place I found myself in was where the men had been collected for the surgeon. A good surgeon friend of mine instantly came to examine my wound. “My breast was dreadfully swelled. He made a deep cut under the right pap, and dislodged from the breastbone a musketball. I was suffocating with the injury my lungs had sustained. He took a quart of blood from my arm. I now began to feel my miseries. Sgt Fairfoot was also here, wounded in the arm, [and] said he would go and knock some French prisoner off his horse for me in order to get me off. They tried to lift me upon it but I fainted; some other officer took it. [Then] Fairfoot came with another horse.

Oh what I suffered! I had to ride 12 miles. I forgot to tell you the ball went through my ribs, and also through my body. The motion of the horse made the blood pump out, and the bones cut the flesh to a jelly.” Wellington and Blücher meeting after the battle, painted by Daniel Maclise John Robert Hume, Deputy Inspector of Medical Staff, described in awestruck tones the courage on the treatment table of the Earl of Uxbridge, hit by French cannon-fire in the closing moments of the battle: “I found on inspection that a grape shot had struck him on the right knee, externally fracturing the head of the tibia end, cutting the outer hamstring in two. The capsular ligament was filled with fragments of bone and cartilage like gravel. His lordship was perfectly cool, his pulse was calm and regular as if he had just risen from his bed in the morning and he displayed no expression of uneasiness though his suffering must have been extreme. Most remarkable was his excessive composure, though he had been personally present in almost every one of the many charges made by the cavalry during the battle.

“I announced to Lord Uxbridge that, the operation being found necessary, the sooner it was performed the better. He said, ‘Very well, I am ready.’ “I took the knife in my hand. Lord Uxbridge said, ‘Tell me when you are going to begin.’ I replied, ‘Now, my Lord.’ He laid his head upon the pillow and, putting his hand up to his eyes, said, ‘Whenever you please.’ “He neither uttered groan or complaint [during the amputation] nor gave any sign of impatience or uneasiness. The stump was dressed in the usual manner and his Lordship, having drank a very small quantity of weak wine and water, was undressed and made as comfortable as the miserable bed upon which he was stretched would allow him to be. His skin was perfectly cool, his pulse which I was curious enough to count gave only 66 beats to the minute, and so far was he from exhibiting any symptoms of what he had undergone in his countenance that I am quite certain, had anyone entered the room, they would have inquired of him where the wounded man was.

Aftermath Napoleon tried to regroup in Paris but abdicated as Emperor of the French on June 22 and was exiled to Saint Helena where he died in 1821. On July 7, Wellington and Blücher entered Paris in triumph. Extracted from The Battle of Waterloo, published by Extraordinary Editions. There are two versions: the Commemorative Edition is quarter bound, by hand, in leather with gold embossed scarlet silk sides, and comes with a matching portfolio of maps; the Exemplary Edition is fully bound in leather and presented in a wooden writing slope. Readers can claim 10 per cent off the Commemorative Edition (normally £850) and the Exemplary Edition (normally £1,815). For more details, click here.

Picture credits: Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Alamy, Bridgeman Art Library Britain Magazine | The official magazine of Visit Britain | Best of British History, Royal Family,Travel and Culture - The 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo Latest issue The 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo On 18 June 1815 a bloody encounter 10 miles south of Brussels altered the course of Europe’s history and gave the English language a new maxim: to meet your Waterloo. Here are some of the best ways to commemorate the anniversary of Wellington’s famous victory against Napoleon. The Battle of Waterloo by Jan Willem Pieneman, 1824. Credit: FineArt/Alamy The final showdown between French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte intent on domination of Europe and allied troops under the Duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley), was, in the latter’s words, “the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life,” and is forever known as The Battle of Waterloo .

After more than 20 years of French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815) convulsing the Continent, and hot on the heels of Napoleon’s escape from exile on the Mediterranean island of Elba, here was the reckoning. On 18 June 1815, the French met Wellington’s British troops and their Dutch and German allies defending a high ridge near the village of Waterloo in modern-day Belgium. The terrible battle raged all day – the Dover Gazette reported that Napoleon’s ‘Beautiful Daughters’ (12-pounder cannons) could be heard some 140 miles away on the English seafront. But Wellington had chosen his ground well. Facing superior French numbers (72,000 men and 246 cannons against 68,000 allies with 156 cannons), his forces withstood relentless artillery and cavalry charges until Field Marshal Blücher swooped in with Prussian reinforcements in the evening to clinch victory. Napoleon was exiled to St Helena in the South Atlantic (he died there in 1821) and the Great Duke was fêted as the saviour of Europe.

General European peace, apart from the Crimean War (1853-1856), would last right up until 1914. Across Britain, the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and its legacy is being commemorated throughout 2015 with re-enactments, exhibitions and concerts. The battle itself, while epic, was a bloodbath with 65,000 people killed or injured, Wellington said: “It was the most desperate business I was ever in.” Here are seven places to commemorate the famous Battle of Waterloo Apsley House. Credit: Pawel Libera/Corbis 1. Apsley House, London The Waterloo Gallery, where the ‘Iron Duke’ held annual Waterloo Banquets in his London home has been recreated in stunning fashion and there is a new exhibition of memorabilia. You can even come face-to-face with Wellington’s troops during Waterloo Weekends in July. 2. The Duke of Wellington’s Regimental Museum, Halifax Arthur Wellesley joined the 33rd Regiment of Foot in 1793 and it later became known as The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (now the 1st Yorkshire).

The exhibition Waterloo Lives: Wellington’s Redcoats, (until 25 July), tells the story of Waterloo and of the ordinary soldiers who fought there. Walmer Castle. Credit: Steven Vidler/Corbis 4. Waterloo at Windsor: 1815-2015, Windsor In celebration of the allied victory, King George IV created the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle. Enjoy an anniversary display and themed trail through the State Apartments, featuring objects seized on the battlefield, including Napoleon’s red cloak (until 13 January 2016). 5. Wellington Arch, London The victory arch on Hyde Park Corner showcases Waterloo 1815 – The Battle for Peace, an exhibit that explores the iconic encounter and its legacy (until the end of October). Must-see items include the Duke’s handwritten battle orders and Wellington boots. 6. Household Cavalry Museum, London This museum in Horse Guards, London, will mark the anniversary by highlighting the role played by the Union Brigade in which 2,000 cavalrymen prevented French infantry from breaking the allied line at a critical stage. Artefacts include the bugle on which the charge of the Household Brigade was sounded on that fateful day. 7.

Waterloo 2015, Belgium To commemorate the bicentenary, 5,000 re-enactors, 300 horses and 100 cannons will recreate two phases of battle, The French Attack and The Allied Counterattack at Waterloo, Belgium on 19-20 June. Royalty shows up in force at 200th anniversary of Battle of Waterloo | Toronto Star World Royalty shows up in force at 200th anniversary of Battle of Waterloo France sent a lower-key delegation and strongly objected earlier to a commemorative Waterloo coin. But the victors had a field day Around 5000 historical re-enactors from around the world are taking part in three days of events from June 18, to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. (Dan Kitwood / GETTY IMAGES) British re-enactors take part in a practice drill in the Allied Bivouac camp in Waterloo, Belgium. Around 5,000 historical re-enactors from around the world will take part in three days of events from June 18, 2015 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.

(Dan Kitwood / GETTY IMAGES) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during a National service to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, Thursday June 18 in London, England. (Anthony Devlin / AP) Horsemen dressed as soldiers in Napoleon's army, at Napoleon Bonaparte's headquarters during commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo on June 18. (EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP/GETTY IMAGES) French lawyer Franck Samson, dressed as Napoleon Bonaparte walks around his headquarters during commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo. (EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP/GETTY IMAGES) Memories of La Grande Armee: A man dressed as a soldier in Napoleon's army during commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo. The 1815 battle saw the overthrow of Napoleon Bonaparte and the restoration of Louis XVIII to the French throne.

(EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP/GETTY IMAGES) By Raf CasertAssociated Press Thu., June 18, 2015 BRUSSELS — Royalty, dignitaries and soldiers around the world on Thursday commemorated the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, a watershed in European history that marked the end of the continent’s domination by France and its emperor Napoleon and the beginning of the British century. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during a National service to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, Thursday June 18 in London, England. (Anthony Devlin) Belgium’s King Philippe led a ceremony for hundreds of guests and thousands of re-enactors gathered under the Lion’s Mount monument at the Waterloo battle site exactly 200 years after more than 10,000 soldiers died in a half-day battle between French troops and an international coalition led by Britain’s Duke of Wellington. French lawyer Franck Samson, dressed as Napoleon Bonaparte walks around his headquarters during commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo.

(EMMANUEL DUNAND) Article Continued Below Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said “the enemies of yesterday have become staunch allies” after descendants of the top military leaders of that battle shook hands on the very grounds where their ancestors had fired guns and cannons at one another. Even if royalty and nobility from several of the 1815 belligerents attended the ceremony just south of Brussels, France only sent a lower-key delegation. Paris had already strongly objected earlier this year to the minting of a commemorative Waterloo coin. British re-enactors take part in a practice drill in the Allied Bivouac camp in Waterloo, Belgium. Around 5,000 historical re-enactors from around the world will take part in three days of events from June 18, 2015 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. (Dan Kitwood) But the victors, especially Britain, had a field day. Prince Charles came to the battlefield on Wednesday, then was joined by Prime Minister David Cameron at a Waterloo commemorative service Thursday at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Descendants of those who fought, including the 9th Duke of Wellington, also marked the occasion at a service, which featured readings of extracts offering accounts of the battle. “This anniversary means a great deal. The battle changed history. Had we not won, we probably would be speaking French now,” said Squadron Sergeant Major Tony Gray, 76, of the Light Cavalry. Memories of La Grande Armee: A man dressed as a soldier in Napoleon's army during commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo. The 1815 battle saw the overthrow of Napoleon Bonaparte and the restoration of Louis XVIII to the French throne. (EMMANUEL DUNAND) St. Paul’s is the resting place of the first Duke of Wellington, who led the British troops in 1815. And at NATO facilities in Kabul, Afghanistan, British and other NATO soldiers also marked one of the most famous battles in history. Horsemen dressed as soldiers in Napoleon's army, at Napoleon Bonaparte's headquarters during commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo on June 18.

(EMMANUEL DUNAND) 1000+ images about 200th Anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo June 2015 on Pinterest | The duchess, Prince charles and London Prince Charles and Cameron hear tributes to heroes of Waterloo London Mayor Boris Johnson appears to salute one of the troops lining the steps of St Paul...

More Prince Charles and David Cameron attend Battle of Waterloo 200th anniversary service | Daily Mail Online Waterloo remembered: The famous battlefield stirs again with re-enactors lining up to mark 200th anniversary of toppling of Napoleon as Prince Charles and David Cameron hear stirring tributes to heroes Memorial service marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo at St Paul's Cathedral, London Nearly 180,000 men converged on the muddy battlefield in modern day Belgium to defeat the French emperor Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister and Boris Johnson among the attendees for the service A Services also took place in Belgium where a two day battle re-enactment is set to take place Spectacular images of Waterloo projected on to the Wellington Arch ahead of 200th anniversary of famous battle | London Evening Standard Spectacular images of Waterloo projected on to the Wellington Arch ahead of 200th anniversary of famous battle Wednesday 11 March 2015 13:53 BST Click to follow The Evening Standard Re-enactment: One of the biggest re-enactments to take place in Europe will be staged on the battlefield near Brussels from June 18-21 (Picture: Nigel

 Howard) The battle of Waterloo was dramatically brought to the centre of London with the projection of spectacular images onto the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.

Still and moving pictures covered the monument to the battle’s victor, Wellington, as Belgian tourist chiefs outlined their strategy to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle in June that ended the Napoleonic wars. One of the biggest re-enactments to take place in Europe will be staged on the battlefield near Brussels from June 18-21 with more than 6,000 participants, some 300 horses and 100 canons. It is expected to attract more than 120,000 spectators. The images projected onto the monument, which is overlooked by Wellington’s former home, Apsley House, were from previous re-enactments at Waterloo. On parade for the event to drum up tourism were green-jacketed re-enactors from the 95th Rifles and red coats from the Surrey-based 2nd Regiment of Foot, who will travel to Belgium in June to face their French counterparts. Also on parade at the Intercontinental London Park Lane Hotel were Highlanders and troops from foot and horse artillery. The latest Bradt Guide to Waterloo & Beyond was officially launched containing dozens of key sites, memorials and monuments.

Illuminated: June will mark the 200th anniversary of Waterloo (Picture: Nigel Howard) Representatives of the Belgian Tourist Office-Brussels & Wallonia raised smiles by unveiling a dartboard featuring a caricature of Napoleon, but also highlighted a major new visitor centre at the battlefield and the restoration of the Hougoumont chateau, which was bravely defended by British guardsmen and key to Wellington’s victory. Two new exhibitions at Wellington Arch and Apsley house will feature Wellington’s handwritten orders from the battle, his sword, and a pair of original Wellington Boots. Opening on Saturday April 18 to mark the Waterloo bicentenary, the exhibitions explore his life and detail the conflict. The 9th Duke of Wellington, who still lives at Apsley House, said: “We will be honouring and commemorating one of the most important battles in European history; the principle legacy of the battle was the long period of peace in Western Europe.”

Question: 18 June will mark the 200th anniversary of which famous battle?
Answer: WATERLOO