Percy had brought the Prince Regent a despatch from Wellington. The Waterloo Despatch, as it became known, was immediately made public. It is a fascinating document when considered in relation to the known events, as it clearly sets out to falsify the record by marginalising the Prussian role in the victory. Wellington may have been guided by personal vanity, patriotism or reasons of state. The fact remains that by making Waterloo appear as an essentially British victory he put himself in much the same position when he advanced on Paris as Alexander had been in the previous year. And this made
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