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| Battle of Waterloo service attended by Royal Family | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Royal Family members are taking part in a service to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. | |
| The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are among those at the event at St Paul's Cathedral in London. | |
| Representatives of the UK's armed forces and all countries involved in the battle are in attendance, as well as descendants of men who fought in it. | |
| The battle at Waterloo cost thousands of British and allied lives in the defeat of Napoleon's forces. | The battle at Waterloo cost thousands of British and allied lives in the defeat of Napoleon's forces. |
| Nearly 180,000 men fought for more than 10 hours, with more than 35,000 horses and some 500 cannons on the two sides. | Nearly 180,000 men fought for more than 10 hours, with more than 35,000 horses and some 500 cannons on the two sides. |
| The service, which is also being attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, is part of a series of events marking the anniversary. | |
| Also among the congregation is the Earl of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the 9th Duke of Wellington. | |
| Some 200 children and 200 teachers were invited, along with members of the public who entered a ballot for tickets. | |
| A commemoration service, attended by the Duke of Kent, was also held with European dignitaries in Belgium. | |
| On Wednesday, Prince Charles unveiled a memorial in Belgium to the British soldiers who fought and died at Waterloo. | On Wednesday, Prince Charles unveiled a memorial in Belgium to the British soldiers who fought and died at Waterloo. |
| The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the battlefield before unveiling the memorial at Hougoumont Farm, a key site in the fighting. | The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the battlefield before unveiling the memorial at Hougoumont Farm, a key site in the fighting. |
| The site played a crucial role in the victory of the Duke of Wellington's allied army over Napoleon's French forces in 1815, and saw some of the fiercest fighting of the battle. | The site played a crucial role in the victory of the Duke of Wellington's allied army over Napoleon's French forces in 1815, and saw some of the fiercest fighting of the battle. |
| The memorial depicts two life-size soldiers struggling to close the farm's north gate to save it from being overrun by the French. | The memorial depicts two life-size soldiers struggling to close the farm's north gate to save it from being overrun by the French. |
| Soldiers from the Coldstream Guards managed to shut the gate and Wellington later said the outcome of Waterloo "turned on the closing of the gates at Hougoumont". | Soldiers from the Coldstream Guards managed to shut the gate and Wellington later said the outcome of Waterloo "turned on the closing of the gates at Hougoumont". |
| Prince Charles and the duchess also took a tour of the battlefield, starting at La Belle Alliance Farm - which served as Napoleon's headquarters. | Prince Charles and the duchess also took a tour of the battlefield, starting at La Belle Alliance Farm - which served as Napoleon's headquarters. |
| The duchess has a direct connection with the new monument as her great-great-great-grandfather, John Whitehill Parson, fought at Waterloo while serving with the 10th Regiment of Light Dragoons. | The duchess has a direct connection with the new monument as her great-great-great-grandfather, John Whitehill Parson, fought at Waterloo while serving with the 10th Regiment of Light Dragoons. |
| More than 5,000 enthusiasts are due to perform battle re-enactment displays at Waterloo over the weekend as the bicentenary commemorations continue. | More than 5,000 enthusiasts are due to perform battle re-enactment displays at Waterloo over the weekend as the bicentenary commemorations continue. |
| And tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a sound-and-light show on the battlefield on Thursday. | And tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a sound-and-light show on the battlefield on Thursday. |
| The battle was fought after French emperor Napoleon conquered large swathes of Europe, before being defeated by allied forces in 1814. | The battle was fought after French emperor Napoleon conquered large swathes of Europe, before being defeated by allied forces in 1814. |
| He was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba, but escaped the following year, and on 18 June 1815 his troops again faced the combined allied forces at Waterloo - about 10 miles from the Belgian capital, Brussels. | He was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba, but escaped the following year, and on 18 June 1815 his troops again faced the combined allied forces at Waterloo - about 10 miles from the Belgian capital, Brussels. |
| Waterloo: The day that decided Europe's fate | Waterloo: The day that decided Europe's fate |
| Discover how closely Britain came to defeat at Waterloo with iWonder | Discover how closely Britain came to defeat at Waterloo with iWonder |