Arthur Wellesley

Right here is the man who defeated Napoleon, yet needed iron bars to protect his own windows. This grand mansion at Hyde Park Corner, where the busy roundabout meets the park entrance, is Apsley House. For over 200 years it has been home to the Duke of Wellington and his descendants. Arthur Wellesley was born in Dublin in 1769 into an aristocratic family. His mother saw little promise in him and pushed him toward a military career. She was spectacularly wrong.

Wellington became one of Britain's greatest commanders, first making his name in India at the Battle of Assaye in 1803, a victory he considered his finest achievement. From 1808 to 1813, he fought grueling campaigns across Spain and Portugal, repeatedly defeating Napoleon's generals. His defensive tactics became legendary. Then came June 1815 and Waterloo, where Wellington delivered the final blow to Napoleon, earning him the title conqueror of the world's conqueror. But military glory did not guarantee political success.

As Prime Minister from 1828 to 1830, Wellington fiercely opposed parliamentary reform. Angry mobs surrounded this very house, hurling stones at the windows. He installed iron shutters to protect them, which gave him his famous nickname: the Iron Duke. Wellington died in 1852 and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral.