Waterloo Chamber
The Waterloo Chamber, dating from 1830–31, is a large room in Windsor Castle dedicated to the military defeat of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte by British, Prussian, Russian and Austrian forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.
Designed by the architect Jeffry Wyatville to replace the Queen's Drawing Room, Queen's Ballroom, Queen's Audience Chamber, Queen's Presence Chamber, Queen's Guard Chamber, King's Presence Chamber, King's Audience Room, King's Drawing Chamber and King's Dining Chamber which were all in Hugh May's 17th-century structure, the Waterloo Chamber along with the Grand Reception Room, White Drawing Room, Green Drawing Room, Crimson Drawing Room, State Dining Room and Octagonal Dining Room was formed.
The portrait painter Sir Thomas Lawrence was commissioned by King George IV to paint all the major figures who came together to defeat Napoleon as well as fires from the restored French monarchy and today these works still hang assembled there. Lawrence both traveled Europe and at another time kept a studio in London to complete the task.
Among the people depicted in the chamber by Lawrence are Tsar Alexander I of Russia, Emperor Francis I of Austria, King Frederick William III of Prussia, Field-Marshal Karl Philip Prince of Schwarzenberg, John, Count Capo D'Istria, Archduke Charles of Austria, Napoleon II, Pope Pius VII, Cardinal Consalvi, Charles X of France and the aforementioned Duke of Wellington.
Today, each June the garter luncheon, given by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom for the Knights and Ladies of the Garter is held in the chamber.
