To mark the bicentenary of the famous lion roaring towards France to commemorate the Allied victory over Napoleon and his imperial troops, an exhibition and a series of festivities have been inaugurated.
Although referred to as ‘the Lion of Waterloo’, geographically speaking, this famous monument is actually situated in the neighbouring municipality of Braine-l’Alleud. Historically, only the headquarters of the Duke of Wellington, commander of the Allied forces, was based in the municipality of Waterloo. But militarily, Napoleon’s defeat was effectively decided in the territories of Braine-l’Alleud and Lasne.
And the reason a lion was chosen for the top of the hill was that back in 1826, the territory that is now Belgium was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. King William, who had initiated the project, therefore insisted that the lion on the coat of arms of the House of Orange-Nassau be chosen and erected as a symbol of the courage and bravery displayed by his own son, the Prince of Orange (the future William II of the Netherlands), who had been struck in the same spot by a French bullet during the battle.
Weighing 28 tonnes and standing 4.45 metres tall, the statue is made entirely of cast iron, not the bronze from the cannons left behind by Napoleon on the battlefield, contrary to certain claims. This ‘protector of peace’ stands atop an artificial mound 41 metres high, for which 290,000 m³ of earth needed to be cleared.
To mark the bicentenary of this iconic site, a major photography exhibition is open until the end of 2026. In addition to photographs by Samuel Bouchoms and Jean-François Schmitz, images submitted for a social media competition will also be on display.
A spectacular show is also planned for Saturday 12 September. Narrated by Patrick Weber, this unique event will combine storytelling, historical sketches, screenings and spectacular staging to take the audience on a journey through 200 years of history.
