Arthur Wellesley (Duke of Wellington)

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769–1852), was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman. He rose to prominence through military service in India and the Peninsular War, leading British and allied forces against Napoleon’s armies in Spain and Portugal. In 1815 he commanded the coalition army that defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, securing his reputation as one of Britain’s foremost generals. Elevated to the peerage and long active in public life, Wellington entered politics as a leading Tory. He served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1828–1830 and 1834) and held other senior offices, including Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.