Alava Miguel Ricardo de

(1770 – 1843) was a Spanish General and statesman. He holds the distinction of having been present at Trafalgar, Vitoria and Waterloo, fighting against the British on the former and with them on the latter ones. Alava served as a naval aide-de-camp during the time of Spain’s alliance with France but switched sides following Napoleon’s invasion of his homeland in 1808. Later he joined the headquarters of the British Peninsular Army as a military attaché and became a close friend of the Duke of Wellington. During the Waterloo Campaign in 1815, Alava was the Spanish envoy to the court of King William I of the Netherlands, which allowed him to be at Wellington’s side during the battle.