The Duke of Wellington, Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley recently hosted a group of Universal Defence and Security Solutions members at Apsley House.
The group took part in a private tour to view the glittering interiors of the grandest address in the capital, once known as 'Number 1 London'. The beautiful Georgian building was the London home of the first Duke of Wellington and has changed very little since his great victory at Waterloo in 1815. UDSS members enjoyed viewing one of the finest art collections in London, with paintings by Velazquez and Rubens, as well as a wonderful collection of silver and porcelain.
Apsley House is the London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington. It stands alone at Hyde Park Corner, on the south-east corner of Hyde Park, facing towards the large traffic roundabout in the centre of which stands the Wellington Arch. It is a Grade I listed building.
Designed by Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, the house was built for Lord Apsley in the 1770s. It was purchased by Richard Wellesley, in 1807, and passed to his younger brother Arthur, in 1817. It is perhaps the only preserved example of an English aristocratic townhouse from this period.
The house is also called the Wellington Museum, its official designation under the Wellington Museum Act 1947. Run by English Heritage, much of the house is open to the public as a museum and art gallery, exhibiting the Wellington Collection, a large collection of paintings, other artworks and memorabilia of the career of the 1st Duke. The 9th Duke of Wellington retains half the house for the family's private use. The practice has been to maintain the public rooms as far as possible in the original style and decor of the 1st Duke.
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