Full name: Arthur Wellesley Born: 1st May 1769 Place of Birth: Dublin, Ireland Occupation: First Duke of Wellington Died: 14th September 1852

As one of the most notable figures of the 19th Century, Arthur Wellesley was born in Dublin, Ireland on 1st May 1769 and was the fourth son of the Earl and Countess of Mornington.  Wellesley was a student at Eton but was unsuccessful and given private classes in Brussels before attending a French Military Academy at Angers in Anjou.  In 1787, Wellesley joined the army as a lieutenant of the highland infantry regiment and five years later he became captain of the dragoons.

Wellesley fought against the French in Flanders in 1794 and shortly after, in 1796, he moved to India as a colonel and took part in the Mysore war.  Wellesley was promoted to major-general in 1802 during the Maratha War and won the Battle of Assaye, he was knighted for his efforts on his return to the UK in 1805. 

Wellesley was appointed a Member of Parliament for Rye and soon after, he became Chief Secretary for Ireland. Meanwhile, Wellesley continued military duties and took charge of the British, Portugease and Spanish army in 1808 during the Peninsular War. 

Wellesley was appointed the First Duke of Wellington in 1814 and he claimed victory over the French and Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars.  The Duke also became commander of the allied armies and defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. On his return to Britain, Wellesley was formally honoured and given an estate in Hampshire.

The Duke was appointed Commander in Chief of the British Army and became Prime Minister in 1828 the following year.  The Duke was conservative and achieved Catholic emancipation but became unpopular due to his reluctance over parliamentary reforms and was often referred to as the 'Iron Duke'. 

Wellesley was replaced by Earl Grey in 1830 after his party lost the election, but on gaining power again in 1834, Wellesley refused the offer of Prime Minister.  Robert Peel replaced the Duke of Wellington, who became Foreign Minister before becoming Leader of the House of Lords, but retired from politics in 1846.  After his time as Prime Minister, the Duke became foreign minister until his retirement in 1846. 

Arthur Wellesley died on 14th September 1852 and was buried at St. Paul's Cathedral.  An arch was erected in Hyde Park to commemorate the Duke of Wellington and it still stands today.