Waterloo (I) (1970)

Virginia McKenna: Duchess of Richmond

Photos 

Quotes 

• [referring to the English troops] 

  Duchess of Richmond : They're the salt of England, Arthur.

  Duke of Wellington : Scum. Nothing but beggars and scoundrels, all of them. Gin is the spirit of their patriotism.

  Duchess of Richmond : Yet you expect them to die for you?

  Duke of Wellington : Um-hum.

  Duchess of Richmond : Out of duty?

  Duke of Wellington : Um-hum.

  Duchess of Richmond : I doubt if even Bonaparte could draw men to him by duty.

  Duke of Wellington : Oh, Boney's not a gentleman.

  Duchess of Richmond : Arthur! What an Englishman you are.

  Duke of Wellington : On the field of battle his hat is worth fifty thousand men; but he is not a gentleman.

• Sarah : Mama, Iggy has promised to bring me a cuirassier's helmet to use as a work basket - without blood in it, Mama.

  Duchess of Richmond : And one for me, young man - *with* the blood.

  Sir William Ponsonby : And where do you plan to stick your Frenchman, Hay?

  Lord Richard Hay : I thought under the right arm, sir.

  Sarah : See? He has it all planned.

  General Sir Thomas Picton : When you meet a cuirassier beam-to-beam, you'll be lucky if you bring away your life with you, never mind his helmet. Boy, you'll learn the art of fighting from the French.

• Duchess of Richmond : ...this year, soldiers are the fashion.

  Duke of Wellington : [ironically]  Where would society be without my boys?

• Sarah : When we get to Paris, let me look at Napoleon. I promise I won't get too near. Mama admires him.

  Duchess of Richmond : I am a little bit of a Bonapartist.

  Sarah : Is it true what they say, that he's a monster?

  Duke of Wellington : He eats laurels and drinks blood.

  Duchess of Richmond : And when, my dear Arthur, will you venture into his lair?

• Duchess of Richmond : I don't want Sarah to wear black before she's worn white.