Apsley House

Duke Wellington’s statue, surrounded by four representative British soldiers, a Grenadier, a Scottish Highlander, an Irish Dragoon & a Welsh Fusilier, faces Apsley House across the road, the Duke’s  residence in London.

This Georgian aristocratic mansion once nicknamed London Number One,  (it was the first house passed by visitors travelling from the country-side after the toll-gates of Knightsbridge), is one of the few to remain intact from that period. The visitor can today marvel the original style & decor of this palatial wonder of gilded & glittering interiors as well as nearly 3000 fine paintings, sculptures & works of art in silver & porcelain given to Britain’s greatest military hero.

The painting collection includes works by Antonio da Correggio, Rubens & Velazquez while the stunning surroundings of the Waterloo Gallery provide the ideal setting of the huge banqueting table used by the Regency aristocrats in their annual celebration dinner of the Waterloo victory. More about the House and its collection

A few steps away from the Apsley House & Hyde Park Corner to the northeast, towards Piccadilly lies another war memorial this time commemorating WWII heroes. The Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park honours the sacrifice of 55,573 aircrew from Britain, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Poland and other countries of the Commonwealth, as well as civilians of all nations killed during the air raids of the war. This long overdue monument is one of the latest added in the city’s pantheon, inaugurated by the Queen in 2012. The memorial consists of a dramatic, classical portico which contains a magnificent bronze statue of seven aircrew, representing each member of a bomber’s crew in a captivating detail.