Duke of Wellington (title) Duke of Wellington (title) Duke of Wellington is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It derived from Wellington in Somerset, and was created for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Marquess of Wellington (born The Hon. Arthur Wesley) (1769–1852), the Anglo-Irish Army leader who is distinguished for leading the decisive victory with Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher over Napoleon Bonaparte's forces at Waterloo in Brabant (now Walloon Brabant, Belgium); Wellesley later served twice as British prime minister. The first duke's father was created the Earl of Mornington and their male-line ancestors were wealthy agricultural and urban landowners in both countries, among
Lord George Wellesley Military Cross in 1916. Lord Arthur Wellesley married Louise Nesta Pamela FitzGerald, daughter of Sir Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Baronet, and Amelia Catherine Bischoffsheim, on 12 March 1917 at Saint Thomas Church in Manhattan, New York City. She was the widow of his elder brother Richard. Lord Arthur Wellesley was appointed a wing commander in the RFC, with the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel, on 1 October 1917. He gained the rank of squadron leader in 1939 in the service of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). He fought in the Second World War between 1939 and 1945. He was