Waterloo – and after: The British are now rather embarrassed by military victory

The Battle of Waterloo was a decisive moment in European history and one of Britain’s greatest military victories (albeit with a fair bit of help from the Prussians). Yet 200 years on, the commemorations are relatively muted. That is partly just a consequence of the passage of time: the days of sabre-wielding cavalry and red-coated infantry seem impossibly remote. But it is also indicative of the fact that Britons are not – except when playing football against Germany – much given to tub-thumping over battlefield successes.