The Duke of Wellington, among other things, was well-known for his hilariously matter-of-fact approach to difficult situations. During his political career (which is often forgotten, perhaps wisely, in favor of battlefield heroics), a madman burst into Wellington's office. Wellington asked what he wanted.
The madman replied that he wanted to kill the duke of Wellington.
"Does it have to be right now?" the Iron Duke demanded.
When the madman hesitated, Wellington waved him away and told him to come back later.
Unsurprisingly, Wellington escaped this assassination attempt unscathed.
love your posts!
ReplyDeletegreat pic!!!
Out of all the pictures I have found by trawling the internet, I think that this one is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteHi Elyse.
ReplyDeleteThe next time you are in London try St Pauls Cathedral .Half way down the central aisle, on the left, is a statue of the Duke of Wellington sitting astride a horse.It is larger than life in size.When it was first commissioned to commemorate the Iron Duke the statue faced the entrance with the horse's backside towards the high altar. The furrore and stink that ensued was marvellous to behold. First of all the statue of a horse had never been placed in a house of God before. Not only that, it had it's arse towards the altar.Many people wanted the statue removed but the government and apparently the Dean of St Pauls, wanted it to remain. As a gesture of good will they turned it round so the horses face and the Dukes face, were facing a more approprieate way. The Dukes massive and elaborate tomb is in the crypt alongside the tombs of many famous Englishmen, Nelson, Christopher Wren, Lawrence of Arabia and I could go on. If you are into history, which you are, the crypt of St Pauls will blow your mind.
Hi Elyse,
ReplyDeleteJust posted a picture on my BLOG of the Duke on Horse back in St Pauls. Also, a link to the Cathedral. It should tell you who is buried there.
Hi, I know I’m a little late, but do you have any sources for this story? I’ve heard this story a few times, and have been looking all over the internet for direct accounts, or specifics like the date, or name of the madman, but have been unable to find anything.
ReplyDelete