This week is the 199th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Fought June 18, 1815, a defining moment in British history, so important that British men and women even wore rings to commemorate the occasion.
Called the Waterloo ring, it carries the name of the battle, a profile of the Duke of Wellington, surrounded by blue enamel ribbon, and a single garnet. They are an example of mourning jewelry that was popular at the time. I guess today we might consider the steel bracelets that carry the names of wounded or dead from the Afganistan conflict.
The rings were made closer to the death of the Duke, linking his political, patriotic and wartime valor. As Admiral Horatio Nelson is Britian's greatest Naval commander; the Duke of Wellington represents their greatest General of the armed forces. His nickname was the Iron Duke. People wore the rings to remember their fallen family members and friends, along with the Duke. A double tribute.
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