It can’t have escaped you that it is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo today. The Belgians thought it would be an excellent idea to mint a new euro coin to commemorate this really important event in European history. The French disagreed so they found a loophole in legislation and minted a 2.5 euro coin which is only legal tender in that country. My contribution to the day is this, the Duke of Wellington rose bred in 1874 by Granger and available today, although rare, from that reputable grower, Peter Beales. It’s large, shapely, scented and very free flowering with a deep crimson colour. Presumably it has all the qualities of its namesake.
