Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, in full Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, marquess of Douro, marquess of Wellington, earl of Wellington, Viscount Wellington of Talavera and of Wellington, Baron Douro or Wellesley, byname Iron Duke, (born May 1, 1769, Dublin, Ireland—died September 14, 1852, Walmer Castle, Kent, England), Irish-born commander of the British army during the Napoleonic Wars and later prime minister of Great Britain (1828–30). He first rose to military prominence in India, won successes in the Peninsular War in Spain (1808–14), and shared in the victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo (1815). Wellington twice