Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ton the play-it-safe strategist and conservative politician—but they're forever linked in
history.
The core of the collection is a dozen first-floor rooms decorated with fancy wallpaper,
chandeliers, a few pieces of furniture, and wall-to-wall paintings from Wellington's col-
lection. You'll see fancy dinnerware and precious objects given to the Irish-born gener-
al by the crowned heads of Europe, who were eternally grateful to him for saving their
necks from the guillotine. The highlight is the large ballroom, the Waterloo Gallery, dec-
orated with Anthony van Dyck's
Charles I on Horseback
(over the main fireplace), Diego
Velázquez's earthy
Water-Seller of Seville
(to the left of Van Dyck), Jan Steen's playful
Dissolute Household
(to the right). Just outside the door, in the Portico Room, is a large
portrait of Wellington by Francisco Goya.
Downstairs is a small gallery of Wellington memorabilia, including a pair of Welling-
ton boots, which the duke popularized—Brits today still call rubber boots “wellies.”
Nearby: Hyde Park'
s pleasant rose garden is picnic-friendly.
Wellington Arch,
which stands just across the street, is open to the public but not worth the
£
4 charge (or
£
8.60 combo-ticket with Apsley House; elevator up, lousy views and boring exhibits).