Ready for battle

In advance of tomorrow's re-enactment of one of the most famous battles in history, we headed over to Waterloo take part in for the weekend events to mark the anniversary. I was glad we took wellies as it was really muddy - a bit like the weather in 1815 then! Apparently Napoleon delayed giving battle until noon to allow the sodden ground to dry.

I took lots of photos but chose to post this one as it has the Lion's Mound in the background. The statue of a lion was constructed on the orders of King William I of The Netherlands on the spot where it was believed his son, the Prince of Orange, was injured. And what's he got to do with anything, I hear you ask. Well, when the Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June, 1815, present-day Belgium was part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The lion symbolises courage and its right front paw rests on a sphere signifying global victory.