Lord Liverpool's increasingly urgent letters proposed that Wellington slip quietly out of Paris before Bonapartist danger closed the road. Wellington accepted that he might have to be withdrawn but objected to any plan that made him look frightened away. He disputed rumours of mistreatment and insisted that any recall be carried out handsomely, repeating his determination to avoid a back-door departure. The exchange shows how personal reputation and diplomatic signalling constrained a practical security decision. Longford's strength is her rounded portrait of Wellington beyond the battlefield.
Notable Point · 15:17-16:28
Wellington refuses a back-door departure from Paris
Wellington accepts that Paris may become unsafe but insists that any British recall preserve his honour and public standing.