In April, I’m posting 26 blogs, one for every letter of the alphabet. I write historical romance set in Regency England, and I’m offering a brief lexicon of words to help you understand the story world of my Regency characters. Follow the links for more in depth information.

W is for Waterloo:

On June 18, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte faced the armies of England, Prussia, and other European states at Waterloo, in Belgium. The coalition armies had defeated Napoleon in 1814 and confined him to the Island of Elba. He escaped in February, 1815 and marched to Paris and on into Belgium. The Battle of Waterloo was a decisive defeat for Napoleon.

The Battle of Waterloo by Clément-Auguste Andrieux

The wars with Napoleon, and the economic aftermath, often weave through the story world of Regency Romances.

And W is for Wellington:

Arthur Wellesley, the First Duke of Wellington, was the commander of the Coalition armies at the Battle of Waterloo. His career as a military commander included service in India and famously, in the Peninsula. An excellent description of the Peninsular campaign is The Man Who Broke Napoleon’s Code, by Mark Urban.

View of the battle field on the moment that the British commander Wellington receives the message that help from Prussian troops is underway, by Jan Willem Pieneman

A younger son of an Earl, Arthur Wellesley attained his dukedom through merit. His other titles included: Prince of Waterloo, Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo, Duke of Victoria, Marquess of Wellington, Marquess of Douro, Marquis of Torres Vedras, Count of Vimeiro, Viscount Wellington, and Baron Douro. These titles are still carried by the current (Ninth) Duke of Wellington.

The Duke of Wellington, 1814

After his long military service, he went into politics, serving for a time as the Prime Minister of England.

Questions? Comments? Visit tomorrow for the letter X!

Images: badge, a-to-zchallenge.com; all others, Wikimedia