The Napoleonic Wars cast a long shadow over the first two decades of the nineteenth century, and they feature heavily in many of Georgette Heyer's novels. The events of The Grand Sophy take place in 1816, a year after Napoleon's final campaign was brought to an end. It is made clear that Sophy herself, with her father Sir Horace, was at the centre of the action. Sir Horace states that they were 'in Brussels last year', Brussels being where the British army, under the command of the Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), was headquartered in 1815. Although it is not directly involved in the main narrative of the plot, this part of Sophy's colourful history is frequently alluded to in the novel, and it is crucial in establishing her character as capable and brave.