Lion of Waterloo bicentenary: Anniversary programme unveiled as iconic memorial restored to former glory

Two hundred years after the inauguration of the Lion’s Mound, the ultimate symbol of victory of the history-changing Battle of Waterloo has undergone a €665,000 renovation project.

The bicentenary of the famous memorial – one of Belgium’s leading tourism sites – is being celebrated in a programme of events staged throughout 2026.

Located in Braine-l’Alleud in Walloon Brabant, the conical mound of the Domain of the Battle of Waterloo is now open to the public following a five-month closure for repairs.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony

An official ceremony marked the completion of the works was attended by the Belgian public authorities that financed them with support from the National Lottery.

Before cutting a black, red and yellow ribbon at the entrance of the restored 226-step staircase leading to the cast-iron sculpture of the lion, the federal minister responsible for the Buildings Agency, Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés), praised the “meticulous” renovation. She added: “In the run-up to its bicentennial, the Lion of Waterloo, an emblematic monument in our heritage, is regaining all its splendour thanks to this project.”

Matz highlighted the “extreme value” of the Lion Mound as a heritage site that attracted international visitors. “It’s our history and in a period of difficulty, when lots of things are uncertain, it brings people together,” she told The Bulletin.

Her sentiment was echoed by the managing director of the National Lottery, Jannie Haek, who underlined the Lion of Waterloo as “a symbolic site of our collective history”.

Since 2019 the domain of the Battle of Waterloo has been operated by the French firm Kléber Rossillon Waterloo. Its director, Thibault Danthine, said the site drew 180,000 visitors a year.

High-tech renovation

While the original construction of the monument 200 years ago was a colossal operation, the recent renovation project also required some heavy lifting. The heritage wing, Colen, of Schaerbeek building company Socatra was responsible for the refurbishment.

The lion itself, made up of nine parts, needed reconditioning, including its interior. An aerial inspection by a drone showed that the statue was in reasonably good condition, but further studies revealed the need for repairs.

Edoardo Martello outlined the effort required to access the 42-metre-high statue under the supervision of an army general. “One of the first challenges was mounting the scaffolding, it took a lot of labour with six to eight men at the top and the bottom to raise the equipment,” he said.

Once the scaffolding was in place it was possible to see inside the statue to access its aging and weather damage. “The most impressive part is that we are working with something that is very old, yet with cutting edge technology.”

The team took 3D scans from inside the lion before creating moulds for replacement parts. “This was the first time opening the lion and the good surprise was that it was very well made. They had created an inspection hatch to see inside,” added Martello.

One final step in the restoration was the placing of a time capsule inside the newly-minted lion on 4 May. As well as a signed letter by the various partners and a technical dossier outlining the renovation work, it contained an admission ticket to the Lion of Waterloo, a 1 euro coin, a tool used on the construction site, a Lotto ball and a copy of a daily newspaper.

History of the memorial

The two-day Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 was fought between Napoleon's French troops and the British with help from Prussian allies, led by the Duke of Wellington. It brought to an end 23 years of conflict in Europe but resulted in appalling losses: nearly 9,000 dead and 22,000 soldiers wounded.

Following Napoleon’s defeat, King William I of the Netherlands commissioned the memorial at the presumed site where his son, the Dutch Prince of Orange, was wounded. Although it provides a sweeping panoramic view of the theatre of war, the terrain below has been drastically altered by the massive quantity of earth that was removed to create the mound.

The lion, a symbol of the Dutch and British royal families, stands triumphantly atop the hill with one paw on a sphere representing global victory over the French. A sculpture by Dutch artist Jean-François Van Geel served as a model for the 28 tonne statue, which was cast in the Liège foundry of British-Belgian industrialist John Cockerill. King William was himself a shareholder in the ironworks.

Upcoming programme

The Battle of Waterloo domain consists of a number of sites. Adjacent to the skyline-dominating mound is The Panorama, a rotunda built in 1912 that houses a vast circular painting of the battlefield in action.

Nearby, the discretely designed Memorial Museum was inaugurated in 2015 for the bicentenary of the battle. It hosts the main section of the free exhibition Iconic Lion by professional photographers Samuel Bouchoms and Jean-François Schmitz until 31 December. Focused on four themes, their works are striking and evocative images of a unique memorial that continues to fascinate 200 years on.

A selected series of shots by amateur photographers are displayed in several key sites of the domain, including the Vertes Bornes path that leads to Hougoumont Farm, as well as Napoleon’s last headquarters, the Wellington Museum and the Waterloo Tourist Office.

Following the annual reconstitution of the famous battle from 26 to 28 June, a summer highlight is a Festive Weekend on 15 and 16 August that is staged at the foot of the mound. Thrill seekers can enjoy a zip line suspended from the top of the hill, which promises spectacular views. Other family activities include bouncy castles, a climbing wall and pony rides, as well as historical reenactments and musket and cannon firing demonstrations. Access to all the entertainment will be included in one entrance ticket with admission free for under-10s.

Another highly anticipated is the Mister Cover open-air concert on 15 August at 20.30. The Lion’s Mound will be honoured on the 200th anniversary of its opening on 12 September with a large-scale show commemorating its history. Narrated by writer and presenter Patrick Weber, it features a musical performance by students of the local Musica Mundi School. Finally, a conference entitled “200 Years of History” by Alain Lacroix is programmed on 4 November.

Domain of the Battle of Waterloo
Route du Lion 1815
Braine-l’Alleud

Photos: (main image) ©Regie des Bâtiments; Scaffolding ©Domain de la Bataille de Waterloo; Battle reenactment ©Walloon Brabant tourism; Domain ©Regie des Bâtiments; ceremony and exhibition ©Sarah Crew