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Duchess of Richmond's ball

1815 in the Southern Netherlands19th century in BrusselsBalls (dance party)Culture in BrusselsEuropean court festivities
June 1815 events
The Duchess of Richmond's Ball by Robert Alexander Hillingford
The Duchess of Richmond's Ball by Robert Alexander Hillingford

The Duchess of Richmond's ball was a ball hosted by Charlotte, Duchess of Richmond in Brussels on 15 June 1815, the night before the Battle of Quatre Bras. Charlotte's husband Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, was in command of a reserve force in Brussels, which was protecting that city in case Napoleon Bonaparte invaded. Elizabeth Longford described it as "the most famous ball in history". "The ball was certainly a brilliant affair", at which "with the exception of three generals, every officer high in [Wellington's] army was there to be seen".The proceedings were interrupted soon after the arrival of the Duke of Wellington, when he was notified of Napoleon's unexpected advance on the nearby crossroads of Quatre Bras. This forced him to depart after ordering his officers to leave to join their regiments. Some of the officers would soon die in battle and the poignancy of the drama has provided an enduring theme for artists, novelists and poets.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Duchess of Richmond's ball (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Duchess of Richmond's ball
Rue des Cendres - Asstraat, City of Brussels Pentagon (Brussels)

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N 50.8535 ° E 4.3592 °
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Rue des Cendres - Asstraat 1
1000 City of Brussels, Pentagon (Brussels)
Belgium
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The Duchess of Richmond's Ball by Robert Alexander Hillingford
The Duchess of Richmond's Ball by Robert Alexander Hillingford
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