The Duchess of Richmond's Ball

The now famous ball took place on June 15, 1815 in Brussels. Readers famliar with Thackeray's Vanity Fair will remember that famous scene. It was during this ball that the Duke of Wellington learned that the French had crossed the border, and the ball was abruptly ended.

Lady de Ros recorded that "When the duke [of Wellington] arrived, rather late, at the ball, I was dancing, but at once went up to him to ask about the rumours. He said very gravely, "Yes, they are true; we are off to-morrow." This terrible news was circulated directly, and while some of the officers hurried away, others remained at the ball, and actually had not time to change their clothes, but fought in evening costume. "

Surprisingly few books have been published on the subject, and Miller clearly did extensive research on his topic. He includes descriptions of the Richmond family and clarifies the location of the ball, a topic that has long been debated. I highly recommend this book for any researcher of the Regency era.