article_snippet.sent: But while the British know what happened when Napoleon met Napoleon Waterloo, the French-speaking world is less convinced.
article_snippet.sent: Belgium is divided into two halves: Flemish-speaking and French-speaking.
article_snippet.sent: Belgium is unfortunate for anniversary-celebrating purposes that Waterloo lies in the French half where the locals are preparing to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo – with Napoleon as the unchallenged star of the show.
article_snippet.sent: ‘The French-speaking world refuses to believe Napoleon lost the battle.
article_snippet.sent: However, the French-speaking world – and especially the French – don’t figure very significantly in the numbers of tourists who visit the famous battlefield site every year.
article_snippet.sent: An injection of £1 million has ensured Hougoumont will open to the public for the first time for the celebrations in June, with guests able to stay in a self-catering cottage within the farm – and as far as I could tell from my visit last month, Hougoumont is a Napoleon-free zone.
article_snippet.sent: Visit belgiumtheplaceto.be for further information on Brussels and Wallonia, and also waterloo2015.org for programme and tickets for the re-enactment.