Apsley House, 1

With Apsley House, the Duke of Wellington's London abode, you get a three-fer: 1) a fine 18th-19th century urban great house, now maintained by English Heritage, 2) Wellington, victor of Waterloo and scores of lesser battles, long-time politician/statesmen and twice Prime Minister, 3) Wellington's truly priceless collection of art, much of which came as gifts from grateful foreign leaders. Consequently, our visit to Apsley will require two posts, especially to reflect Wellington's strange obsession with his French adversary. The house was designed originally by Robert Adam, but thoroughly re-done later, to Wellington's wishes, until a 300% cost-over-run brought the re-build to an end. English Heritage has a fine website on Apsley House, here.

Of course we had to stop by one of the royal abodes along the way

Entrance to Apsley House, just outside Hyde Park, astride
the Wellington Arch...

Atop the Wellington Arch

Throughout the house, mementoes of Waterloo and its annual celebrations

Also throughout the house, portraits and other mementoes
of Napoleon...

Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

Napoleon's army advances across the Danube to the battle of Wagram

Large room with fine porcelain, silver, gold, etc., largely gifts from
grateful European rulers who did not like Napoleon very much

Actually a table center-piece

Under the grand staircase, one of the real curiosities:
a more-than-life-size statue of Napoleon, commissioned by himself;
turns out Napoleon did not like it, and it somehow came to 
Wellington, to be displayed in perhaps the most prominent place
in the house

More Napoleon

Ditto

Not Napoleon

At this point, barely into the house, you're beginning
to wonder whose house it is...

The only depiction of Waterloo Wellington ever acquired (Sir
William Allan, 1843): "yes, not too much smoke" was Wellington's
comment; also "would look great over the stripey couch"

Assorted uniforms: he thoroughly mixed politics with military 
leadership throughout his long career, occasionally purchasing
rank or benefitting from the success of relations...his brother was
the Governor of India for a time, where Wellington had his first
great military successes (he much later described the Battle of
Assaye as his finest victory)(not Waterloo) 

Among the many life-sized portraits

Some more of the silver on display, another center-piece

Music room (?); pictures everywhere, not insignificant ones too
(see next post)