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| Prince of Wales unveils Waterloo memorial | Prince of Wales unveils Waterloo memorial |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Two hundred years after the Belgian fields were sodden with blood, the Prince of Wales trod in the footsteps of Wellington and Napoleon to unveil a memorial on the eve of the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. | Two hundred years after the Belgian fields were sodden with blood, the Prince of Wales trod in the footsteps of Wellington and Napoleon to unveil a memorial on the eve of the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. |
| Accompanied by Charles Wellesley, the 9th Duke of Wellington, and descendants of other key players in a battle that would culminate in Napoleon’s final defeat, Prince Charles arrived at the former site of Le Belle Alliance farm, Waterloo, which served as the French emperor’s HQ on 18 June 1815, before walking along a dusty farm track which skirts the battlefield. | Accompanied by Charles Wellesley, the 9th Duke of Wellington, and descendants of other key players in a battle that would culminate in Napoleon’s final defeat, Prince Charles arrived at the former site of Le Belle Alliance farm, Waterloo, which served as the French emperor’s HQ on 18 June 1815, before walking along a dusty farm track which skirts the battlefield. |
| At Hougoumont Farm – the chateau and farmhouse held by the British and scene of some of the fiercest fighting of that day – he unveiled a memorial commemorating the British, Prussian, Dutch and Belgian soldiers who died. | At Hougoumont Farm – the chateau and farmhouse held by the British and scene of some of the fiercest fighting of that day – he unveiled a memorial commemorating the British, Prussian, Dutch and Belgian soldiers who died. |
| Considered one of the most important military battles of the 19th century, Waterloo saw a British-led international army helped by Prussian forces defeat Bonaparte with the loss of up to 50,000 lives in total, and many tens of thousands more wounded. | Considered one of the most important military battles of the 19th century, Waterloo saw a British-led international army helped by Prussian forces defeat Bonaparte with the loss of up to 50,000 lives in total, and many tens of thousands more wounded. |
| Barry van Danzig, a trustee of the Hougoumont restoration project said: “By closing the gates Wellington ended 800 years of conflict between France and Britain and brought in 100 years of peace – it’s a cornerstone of European history”. | Barry van Danzig, a trustee of the Hougoumont restoration project said: “By closing the gates Wellington ended 800 years of conflict between France and Britain and brought in 100 years of peace – it’s a cornerstone of European history”. |
| Of the new memorial, he added: “The monument to the whole British Army is important. We all hear about Wellington’s victory, but it was the guys on the ground that did it.” | Of the new memorial, he added: “The monument to the whole British Army is important. We all hear about Wellington’s victory, but it was the guys on the ground that did it.” |
| During the Waterloo campaign Napoleon had led his troops against the “Seventh Coalition”, the European powers who refused to recognise him as French emperor – Britain, Prussia, Russia, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and a number of German states – with the Battle of Waterloo itself the most decisive engagement. | During the Waterloo campaign Napoleon had led his troops against the “Seventh Coalition”, the European powers who refused to recognise him as French emperor – Britain, Prussia, Russia, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and a number of German states – with the Battle of Waterloo itself the most decisive engagement. |
| The emperor’s defeat ended his rule and marked the end of his Hundred Days return from exile, putting an end to long periods of war in Europe. | The emperor’s defeat ended his rule and marked the end of his Hundred Days return from exile, putting an end to long periods of war in Europe. |
| Hougoumont, so critical to the allied victory that Wellington later declared the outcome of Waterloo “turned on the closing of the gates at Hougoumont”, has recently undergone a £3m project to restore it after falling into disrepair. | Hougoumont, so critical to the allied victory that Wellington later declared the outcome of Waterloo “turned on the closing of the gates at Hougoumont”, has recently undergone a £3m project to restore it after falling into disrepair. |
| The memorial showed two life-size soldiers struggling to close the critical north gates of the farm to save it from being overrun by the French. | The memorial showed two life-size soldiers struggling to close the critical north gates of the farm to save it from being overrun by the French. |
| On that day, the men who held the gates closed were from the Coldstream Guards. As Charles arrived with the Duchess of Cornwall, 10 men dressed in their scarlet uniforms of the day symbolically held open the gates for the couple while a bugler played the Last Post. | On that day, the men who held the gates closed were from the Coldstream Guards. As Charles arrived with the Duchess of Cornwall, 10 men dressed in their scarlet uniforms of the day symbolically held open the gates for the couple while a bugler played the Last Post. |
| Carved on the memorial were words from Wellington’s official dispatch after the battle: “The army, on any occasion, never conducted itself better”, and another attributed to him: “Next to a battle lost, the greatest misery is a battle gained”, reflecting on the savage losses on all sides. | Carved on the memorial were words from Wellington’s official dispatch after the battle: “The army, on any occasion, never conducted itself better”, and another attributed to him: “Next to a battle lost, the greatest misery is a battle gained”, reflecting on the savage losses on all sides. |
| Earlier, the royal party viewed the ground over which the French forces were destroyed and the ridge behind which the Allied centre was formed, with the duke pointing out the placements of the opposing armies to Charles. | Earlier, the royal party viewed the ground over which the French forces were destroyed and the ridge behind which the Allied centre was formed, with the duke pointing out the placements of the opposing armies to Charles. |
| Among visible monuments was the towering Lion’s Mound, built to mark the site of the famous battle, and which Wellington is said to have criticised as it was made with soil from the area and ruined the original topography of his battle site. | |
| The royals were joined by other direct descendants of those who fought at the battle, Prince Nikolaus von Blucher of Prussia, descended from field marshall Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher who led the Prussian army, and French politician Prince Charles Bonaparte, great great grand-nephew of the emperor. Also present was Princess Astrid, sister of King Philippe of Belgium, Prince Pieter-Christian of the Netherlands and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. | The royals were joined by other direct descendants of those who fought at the battle, Prince Nikolaus von Blucher of Prussia, descended from field marshall Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher who led the Prussian army, and French politician Prince Charles Bonaparte, great great grand-nephew of the emperor. Also present was Princess Astrid, sister of King Philippe of Belgium, Prince Pieter-Christian of the Netherlands and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. |
| Up to 200,000 spectators are expected at the site over four days of commemorations, which include a re-enactment by 5,000 enthusiasts and a huge sound and light show marking Napoleon’s defeat by the international coalition . | Up to 200,000 spectators are expected at the site over four days of commemorations, which include a re-enactment by 5,000 enthusiasts and a huge sound and light show marking Napoleon’s defeat by the international coalition . |
| A national service of commemoration at St Paul’s Cathedral will be held on the anniversary of the battle on Thursday. | A national service of commemoration at St Paul’s Cathedral will be held on the anniversary of the battle on Thursday. |
| On his abdication, Napoleon surrendered to Captain Maitland of HMS Bellerophon, part of the British blockade, and was exiled to St Helena where he would die in 1821. | On his abdication, Napoleon surrendered to Captain Maitland of HMS Bellerophon, part of the British blockade, and was exiled to St Helena where he would die in 1821. |
| • This article was amended on 18 June 2015. An earlier version referred to “typography” where “topography” was meant. |