All about the Battle of Waterloo
Britain has a rich history. March saw the re-burial of Richard III – King of England from 1483 until his death in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field - in Leicester Cathedral.
June will see another huge historical anniversary – the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Here's a snapshot of everything you need to know:
When and where did it happen?
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday June 18, 1815 near Waterloo in present day Belgium.
Who was involved?
The battle was between the French, under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Allied armies commanded by the Duke of Wellington from Britain and General Blucher from Prussia (he was 72 at the time of the battle).
It was Napoleon's last battle.
How many soldiers were there?
Did you know that historians think that there were 118,000 soldiers at Waterloo? That's as many people as there are living in Cambridge! Imagine a whole town marching around!
There were 69,000 men fighting in the French army – 48,000 infantry, 14,000 cavalry and 7,000 artillery with 250 guns.
Wellington's soldiers had 156 cannon and his infantrymen carried smoothbore muskets fitted with a bayonet.
Wellington's 'redcoat' soldiers are thought to have worn their distinctive scarlet jackets to disguise blood or so they stood out in battle and wouldn't be shot by their own men.
The battle was closely fought but Wellington won.
Can you see anything there today?
Today, the battlefield is dominated by a large monument called the Lion Mound.