Unlike Edmund Burke, Sir Robert Peel was most definitely a Conservative, one of the most important leaders of the party. Today is the anniversary of his death. He was thrown from his horse on June 29, 1850 and died after a good deal of suffering on July 2. Though he had lost a great deal of popularity towards the end of his premiership, such is the fickle nature of the crowd that his funeral became the centre of huge national mourning.
The picture above, in the National Portrait Gallery, shows him in a slightly unusual mode, as an art collector.
Here, on the other hand, is
an article from
History Today about the politician and his end.
With time, I have been able to reconcile the Disraelian and Peelite aspects of my nature. ;)
We all have to do it eventually. ;)