What was the name of the Duke of Wellington's horse at Waterloo?

The Duke of Wellington’s horse at Waterloo was named Copenhagen. The chestnut stallion was Wellington’s principal mount during the battle on 18 June 1815 and reportedly carried him for much of the day.

Copenhagen was foaled in 1808 and had mixed Thoroughbred and Arabian ancestry. He was named to commemorate the British victory at the Second Battle of Copenhagen, fought in 1807. Before joining Wellington, Copenhagen had raced in England and later served with British forces during the Peninsular War.

After Waterloo, the horse retired with Wellington to Stratfield Saye in Hampshire, where he lived until dying in 1836 at the age of 28. Wellington reportedly patted Copenhagen after dismounting at the end of the battle, prompting the horse to kick unexpectedly toward his head.

Copenhagen is sometimes confused with Marengo, Napoleon’s famous grey war horse, or Bucephalus, the legendary mount associated with Alexander the Great. Traveller was associated with General Robert E. Lee during the American Civil War, not Wellington.