If we could choose our families? The Duke of Wellington and Copenhagen

The Duke of Wellington and Copenhagen upon retirement from military service


When not in a battle situation Copenhagen was tetchy and difficult and totally unimpressed with situation or status. His cantankerous temperament gave many a groom a bad moment and even nearly gave the Duke himself a severe injury. He had dismounted after the final battle of Waterloo and moved to the rear and patted Copenhagen on the rump in thanks for a fine days work. The horse responded with a savage kick, just missing the General who had already just missed death many times that day.

But Copenhagen was a superb battle horse. Unflinching amidst gunfire he repeatedly exhibited great stamina and fortitude. On one occasion he carried the General Duke into a square of infantrymen under cannon fire, both remaining perfectly composed. Later the Duke said of him: "There may have been many faster horses, no doubt many handsomer, but for bottom and endurance I never saw his fellow." A compliment indeed from an experienced horseman who loved mounted sports at home and had a string of eight chargers for battle.

Copenhagen and the Duke became synonymous and even in retirement from war they remained together. The Iron Duke, as he was affectionately known, became Prime Minister of Britain in 1828 and rode Copenhagen up Downing Street to No.10 to take up his new position of leadership.

In retirement the old horse must have become somewhat mellowed because he was regularly ridden by friends and children at the Duke's country estate of Stratfield Saye, although Lady Shelley said he was the most difficult to sit of any horse she had ever ridden. The Duchess often fed him with bread and this it was said gave him the habit of approaching every lady with the most confiding familiarity. Over the years hair had been taken from the horse and made into bracelets for the ladies.

When the great horse died in 1936, at the remarkable age of 29, he was given a funeral with full military honors. But the day was worsened for the Duke who noticed that one hoof had been removed and flew into a terrible passion about the mutilation. After his own death the guilty servant who had taken the hoof as a memento came forward to confess and presented it to the second Duke who had it made into an inkstand.

The War Museum approached the Duke about disinterring Copenhagen in order to keep his skeleton in the Museum alongside the skeleton of Napoleon's horse, Marengo. But the Duke thwarted the idea by saying he was not sure exactly where the horse had been buried. Of course, he knew precisely where Copenhagen's remains were under the turkey oak in the Ice House Paddock at his country estate at Stratfield Saye but obviously preferred to keep his loyal friend at home with him.

As a mark of respect the second Duke erected a stone marker on the grave where it remains to this day.

The Duke of Wellington and Copenhagen at Waterloo
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Who had the greatest respect, love, and admiration for their animal. The Duke of Wellington, or any of the trainers below? If an animal had to be somebodies child, or a member of their family, would he chose to be Copenhagen the war horse, or Sultan the circus tiger? I suggest there is a deep honoring love in some, and there is a shallow self serving love in others.