The Duke of Wellington defeated mighty Napoleon at Waterloo and had an equally dangerous wit.

The Duke of Wellington led a coalition of nations that expelled the Grande Armee from the fields at Waterloo on the 18th of June, 1815. The Duke of Wellington later addressed the Congress of Vienna, where there were in attendance French officers, some who had previously fled the same battlefield. The officers stood and turned and faced the back of the room.

A lady onlooker tried to apologize to the Duke for the rude display.

“Not to worry Madame,” Wellington remarked. “I have seen their backs before.”