Wellington the Beau: The Life and Loves of the Duke of Wellington Hardcover - 2004

Leo Cooper Ltd, 2004. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. Few people know that Wellington, the `Iron Duke, as well as being an outstanding general, was also a great lover, who pursued the opposite sex with passion, vigour, but also dignity. His unassuming wife Kitty could not compete with Harriette Wilson, the intriguing courtesan; nor with the beautiful Italian singer La Grassini; nor with Princess Lieven, the notorious Russian spy. Patrick Delaforce has unearthed a cornucopia of true, fascinating stories about a score of ladies, who one way or another loved the Iron Duke. One of his nicknames, `The Beau, referred not only to his sartorial taste but also to his considerable graceful charm. He was a favourite of Queen Victoria, who would call `Send for the Duke! whenever she had a problem. This story has an extraordinary ending. The Duke was actually `seen to be ill with love for the beautiful Mary Anne Patterson from Baltimore, and she with him. However, as a distinguished widower, society decreed that Wellington could not marry Mary Anne, a divorc e, so instead she married the Dukes brother, Richard Wellesley, a notable rou , and lived unhappily ever after. In this unique and entertaining book military historian Patrick Delaforce turns from the battlefield to the boudoir to document Wellington's many victories as a bedroom warrior. This 2004 Pen and Sword first edition is in a fine condition with a near fine jacket. Faint pencil inscription present on the blank cover page. Otherwise an excellent clean copy with bright pages free from signs of wear.