Waterloo - The Ball at Brussels by Mike Walker

A BBC Radio historical drama by Mike Walker.

The Battle of Waterloo, the final showdown between the army of France led by Napoleon Bonaparte (in his second attempt to conquer Europe) and Allied forces commanded by Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington, took place on Sunday 18 June 1815, and while Napoleon's forces are defeated the battle ends in about 48,000 men dead or wounded on both sides.

However, two days before the battle began, another historical event takes place. Charlotte, Duchess of Richmond, decides to hold a grand ball at her residence in Brussels with the Duke of Wellington as her chief guest, and against all common sense Wellington agrees and promises to attend, thinking that such a ball would be a huge boost for morale to the British and Allied troops currently in Brussels.

However, Napoleon has other ideas on his mind and drives his troops straight towards Brussels, attempting to drive a wedge between Wellington's British Army and the Prussian forces commanded by General Blucher to prevent them from joining together against him.

So while British society and officers dance the night away (and ordinary British soldiers nervously await the coming battle), the French keep advancing Word reaches Wellington at the ball that the French have broken through the Prussian forces, and he realizes two things: 1) that Napoleon has "humbugged" him and that Wellington doesn't have as much time as he thought to gather his forces together, and 2) that the final battle will have to be fought tomorrow ... near a village not far from Brussels, called Waterloo ...

Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington ... Simon Paisley Day
Charlotte, Duchess of Richmond ... Jane Slavin
Prince Tallyrand ... Stephen Greif
The Duke of Uxbridge ... Sam Dale
The Duke of Richmond ... David Hounslow
Eddie ... Neet Mohan
Randolph ... Mark Edel-Hunt
Georgiana ... Alex Tregear
Emma ... Rhiannon Needs
Equerry ... David Acton
The Prince of Orange ... Stephen Critchlow

Directed by Marion Nancarrow

Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 17 June 2015

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