Apsley House
Napoleonic history and stunning fine art in a most desirable address
As addresses go, ‘Number 1 London’ takes some beating. When you are the 1st Duke of Wellington, fresh from defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, however, it is the very least you deserve.
The palatial residence on the corner of Hyde Park was originally built in 1778 by leading British architect Robert Adam, yet it was later bought by the Iron Duke on his triumphant return to London.
He actually used a £700,000 gift from Parliament destined for the construction of a new Waterloo Palace to buy the existing property from his brother who was nearing bankruptcy. The Duke would eventually become Prime Minister and made several changes to the house, filling it with many of the items gifted to him by grateful allies. Today the significant art collection can be admired alongside trophies and other military memorabilia.
Credit: Christopher Ison for English Heritage
