Battle of Waterloo memorial unveiled at London station

Relatives of soldiers killed in the battle were among those attending.

A memorial remembering soldiers who died in the Battle of Waterloo has been unveiled at the London station that shares its name.

It marks the 200th anniversary of the battle which saw allied forces conquer the French emperor Napoleon.

The 9th Duke of Wellington, a descendant of the British military leader who won the battle, unveiled the enlarged campaign medal memorial.

Relatives of soldiers killed in the battle were among those attending.

In total, 24,000 troops died on 18 June 1815 at Waterloo - in what is now Belgium - which ended two decades of war.

'Important battle'

London's memorial is a scaled-up replica of the Waterloo campaign medal, the first to be given to every soldier present at the battle, irrespective of their rank.

Amanda Townshend, 57, from Sussex, was at the unveiling. Her great-great-great grandfather, Captain Purefoy Lockwood, had part of his head blown off by a musket ball during the fight.

He later had a silver plate with the word "bombproof" written on it placed over the wound.

"I think it is marvellous to be able to honour soldiers who, as they do now, give their lives for their country," she said.

"And this was such an important battle."