As quoted in The Times [London] (9 October 1944); this attribution probably originates in a letter by Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay (6 March 1849), in which he states "How they settle the matter I care not, as the duke says, one twopenny damn."
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[I don't] care a twopenny damn what [becomes] of the ashes of Napoleon Bonaparte.
— Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "[I don't] care a twopenny damn what [becomes] of the ashes of Napoleon Bonaparte." in the context of "As quoted in The Times [London] (9 October 1944); this attribution probably originates in a letter by Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay (6 March 1849), in which he states "How they settle the matter I care not, as the duke says, one twopenny damn."" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington" (Disputed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was a British soldier and statesman. Rising to prominence during the Peninsular War, he became a national hero in Britain after the Napoleonic Wars during which he led the victorious Anglo-Allied forces at the Battle of Waterloo. He later became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on two separate occasions.
About Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was a British soldier and statesman. Rising to prominence during the Peninsular War, he became a national hero in Britain after the Napoleonic Wars during which he led the victorious Anglo-Allied forces at the Battle of Waterloo. He later became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on two separate occasions.
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