Visited: Sunday 28th May 2009

One assumes that anyone bothering to read this site has a vague knowledge of the events of the 18th June 1815 in Belgium around Mont St. jean, La Belle Alliance, Plancenoit, Hougoumont & La Haye Saint. The English speaking world know the events of this day and place as the Battle of Waterloo - the last major battle of the Napoleonic Wars.

Further the author anticipates that the reader is aware of the famous charge of Major General Ponsonby’s Union Brigade. The regiments that constituted the brigade were the:

     ‣     1st (Royal) Dragoons

     ‣     2nd (Royal North British) Dragoons also known as The Scots Greys

     ‣     6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons.

An English, a Scottish and an Irish unit hence the Union Brigade.

And surely every reader is familiar with the exploits of Sergeant Ewart of the Scots Greys who managed to wrest the Eagle of the French 45e Régiment de Ligne from that regiment and claim it as a prize.

Fast forward the years to 28 May 2009. von Peter himself and his personal escort, The Son and Heir, were in Edinburgh. More precisely they were in Edinburgh Castle and, yet more precisely still, they were in the Regimental Museum of the Scots Guards. FYI - the castle boasts three regimental museums.) One of the ancestor regiments of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is The Scots Grey so it was no surprise to see a certain French Imperial Eagle on display.

Usually it is not permissible to take photographic images ins ide such historic sites. To this day von Peter himself is unsure as to whether photographic image taking is allowed within the Regimental Museum of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. But presented with such an iconic item von Peter himself bravely extracted his photographic image capturing device and, having ensured the flash was disabled, rapidly captured several images. I hope you enjoy them.

Above: a glass display case holds the Eagle, the flag and the cravat

Above: a close up of the much faded flag

Above: just down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle can be found this establishment. What greater honour?!

FYI, Sergeant Ewart was commissioned for his heroism at Waterloo.

Salute

von Peter himself

Above: the important bit - Imperial Eagle itself

Above: not much to do with a heroically captured French Imperial Eagle but an intersting corner of Edinburgh Castle -  Cemetery For Soldiers Dogs. They too served