In the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington and his staff were evidently the mark of the French artillerymen. An English artillery officer, thinking it was quite fair to take reprisals on the French, went up to Wellington and said that he had a distinct view of Napoleon attended by his staff; that he had the guns of his battery well pointed in that direction, and was prepared to fire. Wellington instantly and emphatically exclaimed, "No! no! I'll not allow it. It is not the business of commanders to be firing upon each other."
In the battle Wellington directed every movement, and headed in person several charges. He threw himself into the centres of squares charged by the enemy's cavalry, encouraging the nearly exhausted men by some words of inspiration. To the 95th regiment, when expecting a charge, he said, "Stand fast, 95th! We must not be beaten, my friends. What will they say in England?"
滑鐵盧戰役之中，威靈頓公爵和他的參謀顯然成為法軍砲兵的目標。英軍砲兵隊一個軍官認為理應報復，走到威靈頓跟前，說清楚見到拿破崙和隨從的參謀，已下令其砲兵把大砲指向他們，準備射擊。威靈頓毫不猶豫斷然說道：「不行，不行，不許向他們開火。軍隊指揮官不應彼此轟擊。」
戰事中，威靈頓指揮英軍所有行動，還幾次親自領軍衝鋒。他見到敵軍騎兵衝向英軍步兵的方形陣，會走到陣中，用鼓舞的說話，激勵疲憊不堪的將士。第九十五兵團準備迎戰法軍騎兵衝殺時，威靈頓對他們說：「九十五兵團，穩守陣地！各位朋友，我們不可以戰敗，否則英國故園父老會怎麼說？」