Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769–1852)

The Duke of Wellington's parliamentary career began in Ireland, where he was an MP in the Irish House of Commons (1790–97). He also sat as an MP in Westminster (1806–09) before being made a peer in 1809.

Wellington served in the Tory government from 1818, and became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in 1827. The following year he became Prime Minister.

Wellington's premiership saw the passing of important legislation such as the Catholic Emancipation Act (1829), but it ended in 1830 due to his opposition to parliamentary reform. Although briefly unpopular – earning the nickname the ‘Iron Duke' – by the time of his death he had regained his position as a national hero.