How Horatio Nelson's Death at Trafalgar Forged a British Legend
Vice-Admiral Viscount Horatio Nelson was killed on October 21, 1805, during the Battle of Trafalgar, where his British Mediterranean fleet defeated a combined Franco-Spanish force near Cadiz. The victory ended Napoleon's immediate invasion plans, but Nelson died aboard HMS Victory after being shot by a French marine from the Redoutable. His body was preserved in brandy, returned to England, and given a state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral on January 9, 1806. The event cemented his status as a national martyr, and his legacy was later celebrated in works by Benjamin West and J.M.W. Turner, as well as monuments like Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.
Key facts
- Nelson's fleet defeated the Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.
- Nelson was shot by a French marine from the Redoutable and died at 4:30 PM.
- His body was preserved in a cask of brandy for the voyage back to England.
- He received a state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral on January 9, 1806.
- Benjamin West painted The Death of Nelson in 1806, and J.M.W. Turner painted The Battle of Trafalgar in 1824.
- Nelson's Column, completed between 1840 and 1843, stands in Trafalgar Square, London.
- The Royal Navy holds Trafalgar Night dinners annually on October 21.
- Nelson's affair with Emma Hamilton scandalized society, but his death overshadowed his personal flaws.
Entities
Artists
- Horatio Nelson
- Pierre-Charles Villeneuve
- Thomas Hardy
- William Beatty
- Robert Calder
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- King Ferdinand IV
- Queen Maria Carolina
- Cardinal Ruffo
- Sir William Hamilton
- Lady Emma Hamilton
- Lady Frances Nelson
- Horatia Nelson
- King George III
- John Churchill
- Duke of Wellington
- Benjamin West
- General James Wolfe
- J.M.W. Turner
- Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
- Jimmy Chen
Institutions
- Royal Navy
- HMS Victory
- Bucentaure
- Redoutable
- Orient
- Admiralty
- City of London Corporation
- St Paul's Cathedral
- Royal Hospital for Seamen
- Walker Art Gallery
- Royal Museums Greenwich
- National Maritime Museum Greenwich
- University of South Florida
- Royal Navy Museums
Locations
- Trafalgar
- Cadiz
- Spain
- England
- Britain
- France
- West Indies
- Cape Finisterre
- Gibraltar
- Portsmouth
- London
- Thames
- Naples
- Sicily
- Bronte
- Greenwich
- Birmingham
- Trafalgar Square
- Charing Cross
- Waterloo
- Quebec
- Germany