@Zack White Recently on the latest Napoleonicist episode, an accusation was levelled at Wellington for immediately betraying Blucher regarding the battle's title; as in, after meeting eachother Blucher mentions La Belle Alliance as being the perfect name for the battle, after which Wellington rides back to his despatch box and immediately ensures the battle is called Waterloo by mentioning that name.
There are multiple problems I have with this accusation. The meeting probably happened some distance south of that Inn. Also, can it be confirmed that when they both met up the naming of the battle was mentioned? From what I know it was a short meeting in which they discussed the current situation and what needs to be done (the pursuit). Another point to add is that the mention of Waterloo in the despatch is nothing out of the ordinary. He mentions it as being his current location in the top right-hand corner (as he did with all of his despatches). Waterloo was his current headquarters so there's nothing really suspicious about that as far as I'm concerned. He also mentions it in relation to where the ridge is, which in my opinion is not too egregious.
I would like to get people's thoughts on this.
Wellington was a fluent French speaker / writer, since he studied at a (private) French military school. Blücher didn't speak French, but surely someone of his staff, who translated to Wellington. So I believe, the communication at the "Belle Alliance" inn was relatively easy.
I've just re-looked at multiple sources on the meeting of Wellington and Blucher after the battle. They met at 9PM south of the Belle Alliance on the road to Rossomme as daylight was fading. The meeting was brief and both were on horseback. Both had been active and in the saddle all day (Blucher was 73-think of Joe Biden for a comparison of possible energy and mental strength). Neither spoke the others language fluently and they thus communicated in French with translation by their staffs. "Mein lieber kamerad,' said Blucher hugging the Iron Duke, followed by 'Quelle affaire'. Blucher commented on the battle as 'La Belle Alliance" but the main point of their conversation was that the Prussians would conduct pursuit of the French. I greatly doubt that either at that time thought or sought to name the battle as a means of strengthening his own contribution to history.
Honestley I don't know if Blücher brought it up when both victorious commanders met, all I know somewhere the Prussians must have chosen it.
Also as you suggest - it is quite natural - at least for Wellington to write down - top right hand of corner, for his part he played at Waterloo would be an obvious choice, for the Prussians Plancenoit, for both - Belle Alliance.
I presume the Prussians chose the name La Belle Alliance because it is rather a good one, representing as it does the alliance that finally overcame Bonaparte. However, the idea that Blucher came up with the name while the battle was still raging in order to forestall an attempt by Wellington to name the battle himself strikes me as rather fanciful.
Moreover, it is very unusual for battles to be given symbolic names. They are almost always named after towns or rivers. Off-hand I can't think of a battle where this isn't the case.
Wellington may justly be criticised for downplaying the part played by his allies in order to increase his own glory but I can't help but feel that in naming the battle he was merely following convention. Would any other general have done anything different?
So why did the Prussians then chose the name? It was more than a pub - it was one of the central features of the battle field, as well as the name alone would indicate that an alliance but an end to Boney, so by that it has a double meaning. Only be the victory of Belle Alliance Wellington was elevated into the rank of being a top commander. This victory overshadows all his other victories and campaigning in the Peninsular. This he realized and building onto that to become the ultimate general who defeated Boney decisively.
Whilst I personally think La Belle Alliance would have been rather a good name for the battle, it has always been slightly surprising to me that Blucher would have suggested it. He had no love for the French so it seems odd that he would have wanted to give the battle a French name.
It also seems slightly unlikely that the naming of the battle was among the things Blucher and Wellington discussed at the time of their meeting. After all, the battle might have been won but it was far from over. To me it all smacks of someone putting words into Blucher's mouth after the event.
Finally, was there any precedent for a battle being named after a pub? There might be a few pubs named after battles but I am not sure it has ever happened the other way around.
Listening to the podcast - it seems to me - that by implementing Waterloo was a perfect step to own the battle as his victory. While he lamely acknowledges the aid of the Prussians and Blücher, he cannot ignore it - Belle Alliance would taint the sunray beam of el supremo Wellington and point out that the victory was an Allied one of two armies Wellington and Blücher, who co operated so well in the days before and during the campaign and acted as full professionals.
Later as the podcast well points out - the victory gets to Wellington's already overblown ego and swells it to that point, that, at least in the English speaking world he deemed himself to be the chief judge what went on during the battle and how it was decided. Alone he never would have opted to accept the battle because he knew - that depited Boney wasn't any longer a good general, there was a grave danger that he would have been beaten. So according to his narrative he beat Napoleon in the end and the Prussians became a nuisance.