On 18 June 1815 the Duke of Wellington commanded the Allied army at Waterloo in a plain blue frock coat, a bicorne, and a pair of short boots that would later carry his name.
Quick answer. At Waterloo on 18 June 1815, the Duke of Wellington wore a plain dark blue frock coat (not scarlet), white kerseymere breeches, a cloak lined with crimson silk against the rain, Hessian or short Wellington boots, and the plain bicorne of a British general with white and black cockade. He carried a telescope, a pencil case, and no sword. His dress was deliberately understated among the gold and scarlet of his staff.
The plain blue frock
Wellington preferred a plain dark navy blue frock coat for field use. It was a civilian cut single breasted coat with a plain stand collar, no embroidery, no epaulettes, no lace. In an age when generals wore scarlet with gold embroidery and ostrich plume bicornes, Wellington's dress was deliberately austere. He wanted to be identified by his horse, Copenhagen, and his staff, not by his coat.
The frock at Waterloo was cut from fine wool at around 400 grams per metre, with silk lining. He wore it with a plain white linen stock, a cambric shirt and a plain white kerseymere waistcoat. See our British Napoleonic officer uniforms piece for the officers he commanded that day.
Breeches, boots and the name
Wellington wore white kerseymere breeches, tight at the knee, with top boots to the mid calf. These were the short riding boots that civilian men had adopted around 1800 for stable use, cut lower than the Hessian but similar in silhouette. They became known as Wellington boots within a decade of 1815.
The modern rubber Wellington boot of 1856 is a direct descendant of this short riding boot, redesigned by Hiram Hutchinson in India rubber. The original Wellington wore black calfskin, polished to a mirror, with the lining in buff and the heel reinforced for riding. For the broader riding boot context, see our Napoleonic cavalry boots piece.
The bicorne
Wellington's hat at Waterloo was a plain black beaver bicorne, worn fore and aft (not athwart like a Napoleonic officer). It carried the white silk cockade of a British general over the black of the Royal house, held with a gold loop and button. The hat was private purchase, from Lock and Co of St James's.
The brim was 180 mm from crown to edge. The front point rose about 100 mm above the crown; the rear point about 80 mm. A chin cord in gilt wire looped under the chin in rain or wind. No ostrich plume, no gold trim beyond the loop. In the pictorial record (Haydon, Lawrence, Jones), the hat looks almost civilian next to the Marshals' plumes on the French side.
Cloak and small kit
Waterloo was fought in rain and mud. Wellington wore a plain blue cavalry cloak lined with crimson silk, 1,500 mm from shoulder to hem, with a short cape over the shoulders. The crimson lining was for warmth; it also flashed as he rode along the ridge, giving his staff a locating signal in the smoke.
In the frock coat pockets: a telescope (Dollond, London, 450 mm closed), a small pencil case, a notebook, and a silver flask with brandy and water. He carried no sword at Waterloo. His cocked hat was removed on his famous order 'Up, Guards, and at them' and he kept it in his hand while the Imperial Guard was repulsed.
Copenhagen the horse
Wellington rode Copenhagen, a 15.1 hands chestnut thoroughbred stallion, foaled 1808 at Astley Park. The horse had been bought in 1813 for 400 guineas. He wore a plain black leather bridle and a dark saddle cloth in grey wool with a blue border. No regimental shabraque, no leopard skin, no gold trim.
Copenhagen carried Wellington for 17 hours and 60 kilometres on 18 June 1815. When Wellington dismounted that night, Copenhagen kicked out at him; the Duke later said he had hit stiffer blows but none more welcome. The horse lived another 21 years and was buried at Stratfield Saye in 1836.
Why he wore it that way
Wellington's plain blue frock at Waterloo was not an accident. He had worn similar undress in Spain through the Peninsular War. The reason was practical: visibility and command. In the smoke of a Napoleonic battlefield, a plain coat and a chestnut horse read more clearly to a staff officer at 400 metres than scarlet and gold would.
The style also carried political meaning. Napoleon dressed in a Chasseurs a Cheval green coat with the Grand Aigle of the Legion of Honour. The Marshals wore gold embroidered habits. Wellington's deliberately plain blue frock was a quiet statement: I am a soldier, not a king, not a courtier. For the full battle, see our Waterloo uniforms piece.
Common questions
Did Wellington wear scarlet at Waterloo?
No. He wore a plain dark blue frock coat, white breeches, boots and a plain bicorne. His staff wore scarlet; he did not.
Where is Wellington's Waterloo frock now?
Several frocks from the campaign survive. The most studied is at Stratfield Saye House, the Wellington family seat in Hampshire. Others are at the National Army Museum and Apsley House.
Did he carry a sword?
No. Wellington carried a telescope, a pencil case and a notebook. He commanded by orders, not by example sword in hand.
What horse did he ride?
Copenhagen, a 15.1 hand chestnut thoroughbred, carried him for 17 hours on 18 June 1815. The horse lived another 21 years and was buried at Stratfield Saye.
Did he wear Wellington boots?
Yes. Short black calfskin riding boots to the mid calf. The modern name derives from this pattern. The rubber Wellington arrived in 1856.