Castlereagh–Canning duel

The Castlereagh–Canning duel was a pistol duel between the British Minister of War Viscount Castlereagh and Foreign Secretary George Canning, which took place on September 21, 1809, at Putney Heath. The reasons for the duel were the rivalry between the two politicians and numerous disagreements between them over the conduct of the war against Napoleonic France in 1808 and 1809. These differing opinions ultimately led to Canning's demand for a new appointment to the War Office in the spring of 1809, accompanied by a threat of his own resignation. The incumbent Prime Minister, the Duke of Portland, was reluctant to lose either Canning or Castlereagh and delayed a decision for an extended period. Instead, the matter was discussed with various members of the Cabinet and also King George III without the knowledge of Castlereagh, who only became aware of the discussions in the late summer of 1809 and responded by challenging Canning to a duel a few days later. The duel, in which Canning was wounded in the leg by Castlereagh, resulted in the final collapse of the Portland government and the advancement of Spencer Perceval as the new Prime Minister. Castlereagh and Canning, meanwhile, spent several years on the backbenches, absent from any government responsibility.