Happy 243rd birthday to the Duke of Wellington today!
"It was my business to write that letter. It is your duty to read it."
— Wellington’s response when asked to decipher one of his increasingly illegible letters in his older years.
duchessofwellington asked: It brings me such joy to finally see a tumblr devoted to His Grace. I cannot believe how little he is worshipped on tumblr, and such a deserving man to be worshipped! thank you for providing me and many others, with this great pleasure!
You’re welcome! It’s also great to see there are fellow admirers of the Duke on Tumblr; we are indeed an endangered kind!
This is interesting…seeing that I often thought in the past that Wise was the splitting image of Wellington when looking at the famous 1814 portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence.
Greg Wise (as Major Côtard) and Wellington must surely be twins separated at birth? Someone should cast Wise as Wellington - their hair is even going grey in the same places.
In which I make sweet historical love to the Duke of Wellington.
(and/or Christopher Plummer in uniform)
This always stirs mixed feelings…first there’s Hugh Fraser who always makes Wellington even more attractive (if that’s even possible) and then there’s that very dramatic move towards the camera which makes me want to say ‘He is awesome’ as well as ‘This is so cliché I don’t know whether to laugh or cry…’
Dramatic Wellington!
I thought you all needed to see this.
It’ll never get old :’)
"On the morning of the 19th of June, Dr. Hume entered the Duke’s chamber to make his report of the killed and wounded. He found the Duke asleep, unshaved and unwashed, as he had lain down late over night. The duty being urgent, Hume awoke his chief, and the duke sitting up in his bed, desired him without asking an questions to read. It was a long list, and took a good while to go through; but after he had read for about an hour the doctor looked up. He saw Wellington with hands convulsively clasped together, and the tears making long furrows on his battle-soiled cheeks. At first the Duke did not notice that Hume had ceased to speak, but in about a minute he cried, ‘Go on,’ and till the reading was closed, he never once moved from his attitude of profound grief."
— After Waterloo; The words of Wellington, collected from his dispatches, letters, and speeches, with anecdotes, etc. (via herroyalmagesty)
(Source: duchessofwellington)
