Yet another example of the indisputable fact that 'wimmin' just don't understand war. This comes from an article in The Times reminding us chaps that next June sees the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo which was, of course, won by the British - oh, alright then, with a little help from sundry Belgians, Dutch and, dammit, Germans!
I had not realised that the news of the utter defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte was delivered to London by the last surviving aide-de-camp to the dear old 'Duke of Boot'. Apparently seven others had been killed in action so being around the Duke was not healthy! He was a young man by the noble name of Henry Percy which brings to mind Shakespeare's magnificent, if a bit thick and hot-headed, Hotspur, a rebel against Prince Harry in Henry IV.
Anyway, this latter-day Henry Percy:
Tucking Wellington’s dispatch into a purple handkerchief given to him at a ball held in Brussels three days before the battle by the Duchess of Richmond, he took three days to reach London.
When he reached London his troubles were not over. Pursued by cheering crowds, prompting ministers to think they were under attack, he made for Downing Street, only to be told that the prime minister, Lord Liverpool, was dining at Grosvenor Square.
Having announced the news there — he burst in, declaring “Victory! Victory! Bonaparte has been beaten!” — Percy made his way to St James’s Square, where the Prince Regent was at a ball held by Mrs Edward Boehm. The Prince was delighted: Mrs Boehm was furious, as her ball broke up. Years later, she maintained that the “unseasonable news of the Waterloo victory could have been kept until the morning”. [My emphasis]
Typical! 'Wimmin'! Heh!
