Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington Arthur Charles Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington, (15 March 1849 – 18 June 1934), styled Lord Arthur Wellesley from 1884 to 1900, was a British peer and politician, and a member of the well-known Wellesley family. He joined the military and served in the Household Division. Upon his childless brother's death in 1900, he inherited the family title and estates. Wellesley was born in 1849, the second son of Major-General Lord Charles Wellesley and Augusta Sophia Anne Pierrepont. Wellesley's paternal grandparents included the famous Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Catherine Pakenham and, on
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington quotation which is often attributed to him. Moreover, Eton had no playing fields at the time. In 1785, a lack of success at Eton, combined with a shortage of family funds due to his father's death, forced the young Wellesley and his mother to move to Brussels. Until his early twenties, Arthur showed little sign of distinction and his mother grew increasingly concerned at his idleness, stating, "I don't know what I shall do with my awkward son Arthur." A year later, Arthur enrolled in the French Royal Academy of Equitation in Angers, where he progressed significantly, becoming a good