I remember... a long time ago, thinking, as we spent, or so it seemed, a lot of time going through the Napoleonic Wars, that, would it have made much difference to the vast majority of the population of Britain, if Napolean had defeated Wellington at the Batttle of Waterloo?

And I remember putting my hand up and asking our history teacher about it. The classroom fell silent and he looked at me like I was absolutely crazy. Of course it mattered he almost snarled, otherwise we'd have been ruled over by the French! I don't think he got my point.

Subsequently, I realised, many years later that Napoleon would have had great difficulty invading England even if he'd triumphed at Waterloo, because the might of the English Navy would have still been too much for him.