Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington

His Grace The Duke of Wellington KG, PC
"The son of Waterloo". Wellington as caricatured by Adriano Cecioni in Vanity Fair, June 1872.
Master of the Horse
In office 21 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Aberdeen The Viscount Palmerston
Preceded by	The Earl of Jersey
Succeeded by	The Duke of Beaufort
Personal details
Born	3 February 1807(1807-02-03) Harley Street, Soho, London, England
Died	13 August 1884(1884-08-13) (aged 77) Brighton Railway Station, Brighton, Sussex
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Lady Elizabeth Hay (1820–1904)
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford Trinity College, Cambridge

Lieutenant-General Arthur Richard Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington KG, PC (3 February 1807 – 13 August 1884), styled Lord Douro between 1812 and 1814 and Marquess of Douro between 1814 and 1852, was a British soldier and politician. The eldest son of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, victor of Waterloo, he succeeded his father in the dukedom in 1852 and held minor political office as Master of the Horse from 1853 to 1858. In 1858 he was made a Knight of the Garter.

Background and education

Wellesley was born at Harley Street, Soho, London, the eldest son of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, and the Honourable Catherine Sarah Dorothea "Kitty" Pakenham, daughter of Edward Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford. Lord Charles Wellesley was his younger brother and Lord Wellesley, Lord Mornington and Lord Cowley his uncles. He was educated at Eton, Christ Church, Oxford and Trinity College, Cambridge. He became known by the courtesy title Lord Douro when his father was created Earl of Wellington in 1812 and as Marquess of Douro in 1814 after his father was elevated to a dukedom. He was a Page of Honour from 1818 to 1821.

Military career

Lord Douro became an ensign in the 81st Regiment of Foot in 1823 and in the 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot in 1825, a cornet in the Royal Horse Guards in 1825, a lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards in 1827, a captain in the Royal Horse Guards and in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1828, a major in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1830 and in the Rifle Brigade in 1831, a lieutenant-colonel in the Rifle Brigade in 1834, a brevet colonel in the Rifle Brigade in 1846, a lieutenant-colonel in the Victoria (Middlesex) Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1853 and a major-general in the Victoria (Middlesex) Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1854.

Political career

Lord Douro was returned to parliament for Aldeburgh in 1829, a seat he held until 1832. He was out of parliament until 1837, when he was returned for Norwich. In 1852 he succeeded his father in the dukedom and entered the House of Lords. In early 1853 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Master of the Horse in Lord Aberdeen's coalition government, a post he retained when Lord Palmerston became prime minister in 1855. He resigned along with the rest of the Palmerston government in 1858. The latter year he was made a Knight of the Garter.

In 1863 Wellington inherited the earldom of Mornington on the death of his cousin William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 5th Earl of Mornington. From 1868 to 1884 he was Lord-Lieutenant of Middlesex.

Family

Wellington married Lady Elizabeth Hay, daughter of Field Marshal George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale, in 1839. They had no children. The marriage was not a happy one although Lady Elizabeth was a great favourite with her father-in-law. On succeeding his illustrious father he was said to have remarked: "Imagine what it will be when the Duke of Wellington is announced, and only I walk in the room.." The relationship between father and son is often described as the classic case of the son of a famous father who is never able to live up to his legacy. Wellington died at Brighton Railway Station, Brighton, Sussex, in August 1884, aged 77, and was buried at the family seat Stratfield Saye House, Hampshire. He was succeeded by his nephew, Henry. The Duchess of Wellington died at Bearhill Park, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in August 1903, aged 83, and was buried at Stratfield Saye House.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington

Court offices
Preceded by John Bloomfield	Page of Honour 1818–1821	Succeeded by Lord Frederick Paulet
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Wyndham Lewis Joshua Walker	Member of Parliament for Aldeburgh 1829–1832 With: Joshua Walker 1829 Spencer Kilderbee 1829–1830 John Croker 1830–1832	Constituency abolished
Preceded by Viscount Stormont Robert Scarlet	Member of Parliament for Norwich 1837–1852 With: Sir Samuel Peto 1847–1854	Succeeded by Sir Samuel Peto Edward Warner
Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Jersey	Master of the Horse 1853–1858	Succeeded by The Duke of Beaufort
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Marquess of Salisbury	Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex 1868–1884	Succeeded by Viscount Enfield
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Arthur Wellesley	Duke of Wellington 1852–1884	Succeeded by Henry Wellesley
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley	Earl of Mornington 1863–1884	Succeeded by Henry Wellesley
Dutch nobility
Preceded by Arthur Wellesley	Prince of Waterloo 1852–1884	Succeeded by Henry Wellesley
Spanish nobility
Preceded by Arthur Wellesley	Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo 1852–1884	Succeeded by Henry Wellesley
Portuguese nobility
Preceded by Arthur Wellesley	Duque da Vitória 1852–1884	Succeeded by Henry Wellesley