The Wellington Statue, Aldershot - The Statue with the Wrong Horse

The Duke of Wellington became a household name after leading the British Army to victory against the forces of Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo. Twenty-two years later, a memorial statue was commissioned, using bronze from captured French cannons.

The statue was originally erected on top of a triumphal arch in Hyde Park. But, it wasn’t long before people began to think that the statue was out of proportion to the arch, even Queen Victoria said it had become an eyesore, and ordered it moved to Aldershot military town, where it still stands today.