“A Beef with Wellington”, by Frank McNally in Irish Times (28 November 2014)
'With the bicentenary of Waterloo almost upon us, news that Napoleon's hair is to feature in a limited edition Swiss watch is just the latest proof that the Frenchman, despite losing the battle, won the war.
His personality cult is nothing new, of course. The watch-makers wouldn't have his hair now if people hadn't collected pieces of it during his lifetime. But his ultimate defeat in 1815, followed by death in exile, only added to the romantic image that still surrounds him.
The man who triumphed at Waterloo, meanwhile, has no such appeal. In the absence of limited-edition jewellery incorporating his DNA, the Duke of Wellington continues to be commemorated chiefly by a mud-resistant boot…'