That famous touch again

The most famous social encounter in British military history occurred in September 1805 in Lord Castlereagh’s vestibule, when the Duke of Wellington (as he then wasn’t) met Nelson for the first and last time. All we have is Wellington’s account of the meeting, told many years later to John Wilson Croker. At first Nelson did not know who he was talking to, and ‘entered at once into conversation with me, if I can call it conversation, for it was almost all on his side and all about himself and, in reality, a style so vain and so silly as to surprise and almost disgust me’. Suddenly realising he may have made a mistake, Nelson went out to find out who Wellington was, and on returning

he was altogether a different man…he talked of the state of the country and of the aspect and probabilities of affairs on the Continent with a good sense…I don’t know that I ever had a conversation that interested me more.