THE 9th Duke of Wellington, Charles Wellesley, is backing local MP Rebecca Pow’s petition to restore Wellington Monument.

The Duke offered his full support to the campaign when they met last week, saying he recognised the value to the local community and expressed his desire for a full restoration to take place.

During the meeting the Duke explained more about his family’s history and their relationship to both the local area and the Monument itself. He acknowledged the special significance of the structure being one of only three memorials constructed to celebrate the Duke of Wellington’s significance as one of our greatest war heroes, and he singled out the uniqueness of the example in Wellington as it is the tallest three sided structure in the world.

The Duke understands the local importance of the Monument and joined Rebecca in calling for the national importance of this iconic landmark to be recognised as well. Both architecturally and historically the value of the Wellington Monument cannot be understated and both Rebecca and the Duke welcome the Statement of Significance from the National Trust to demonstrate this.

Ms Pow is also calling for a final push for signatures on her Parliamentary petition which will be presented to the House of Commons on Wednesday, July 20. If anyone requires a copy they should email [email protected]. Petitions need to be sent back to Masons House, Magdalene Street, Taunton, TA1 1SG by Friday 15th July 2016.

The local MP said: “It was fascinating to meet with the Duke and learn more about his relationship with the Monument. I fully welcome his support for this campaign and it is an honour to have his signature on the petition. I look forward to working closely with him in the future for the good of Wellington and all those who treasure this iconic landmark. I will keep pushing to do everything possible to further the Monument restoration project.”