Posted on 10/22/2005 12:05:15 PM PDT by wagglebee
With the sun setting over this faded port city, Queen Elizabeth II lit a beacon Friday to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, in which Britain's Royal Navy defeated the French and Spanish fleets and cemented its naval supremacy for the next century.
Bells tolled aboard British vessels around the world and wreaths were laid at the site of the decisive battle just off Cape Trafalgar in southwestern Spain. In the nearby port of Cadiz, descendants of sailors who fought in the battle joined military leaders to pay homage to the 7,000 who died in the fighting.
While the events were not officially a celebration, many in Britain enjoyed reliving a moment of martial triumph — when, under Adm. Horatio Nelson, Britannia ruled the waves.
"Trafalgar was vitally important for this country. Otherwise we would all be speaking French now," said Christina O'Farrell, 61, a retiree from this town on England's south coast, still the home port of the Royal Navy.
The victory by an outnumbered British fleet on Oct. 21, 1805, lifted the threat of invasion by the armies of Napoleon — who ruled both France and Spain — and helped ensure Britain's place as the world's dominant naval power. It also confirmed Nelson's place as the country's greatest naval hero.
Killed in the battle, his state funeral was the largest ever in Britain, with a 1 1/2-mile-long procession following his coffin in London. His statue atop a column in London's Trafalgar Square remains one of the city's most famous landmarks.
Friday's events capped a year of commemorations of the battle. In Portsmouth, the queen lit the beacon beside Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory — the first in a chain of 1,000 lights to blaze across the country.
She then dined in the Great Cabin of the vessel. The menu included smoked salmon tartar with caviar cream and roast beef from Norfolk, Nelson's home county.
"The defeat of the combined French and Spanish fleets lifted the very real threat of an invasion of Britain and it was greeted by the nation with huge relief," she said in a toast to Nelson.
The queen praised Nelson as "a superb tactician and a fearless and determined commander."
Earlier, Nelson's battle-day signal to his fleet — "England expects that every man will do his duty" — was hoisted aboard his former ship. Officers laid wreaths on the deck where Nelson was injured and on the spot where he died hours later.
In Cadiz, a solitary bell tolled as representatives of the three navies involved read out the names of the 60 ships that blasted one another with cannon and musket fire. Spanish Defense Minister Jose Bono led a religious service at a naval base, where descendants of the fleet commanders laid wreaths as choral music was played.
"It was very moving," said Count Andre de Villeneuve, a fifth generation descendant of the French admiral who commanded the Franco-Spanish fleet that sailed from Cadiz into Cape Trafalgar on that fateful day.
"It shows we don't forget the horror and sacrifice of that battle."
On Sunday, Prince Charles; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; and other royals were to attend a remembrance service for Nelson at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, where Nelson is buried.
"The commemorations have been very moving for all of us and have been a demonstration of the solidarity of seafarers," British Ambassador Stephen Wright said.
Actually, after the Corsican Napoleon died, I have no doubt the Frogs would have eagerly surrendered to the first army that came along.
Imagine there's days when honor and duty are understood.
Not likely. The French could and did fight very well back then. It wasn't for lack of courage that the French/Spanish were defeated.
This would have been a month ago.
And I'm not kidding.
This would have been a month ago.
And I'm not kidding.
I hadn't heard that, and it's somewhat surprising. As far as I knew, Lord Nelson was one of the few British heroes whose reputation is considered completely above reproach.
My favourite TV channel, UKTV History, had on a Trafalgar Week, complete with documentaries about Lord Nelson. It was really glorious. As for Portsmouth being "faded" - I'm not sure what they mean by that, some parts of it are very lovely.
Regards, Ivan
Do you know what this is about in post #4?
No. Nelson is untouched atop his column. What you've read about is other statues on lower plinths in Trafalgar Sqare, of which there are several.
I haven't heard anything of the kind.
Regards, Ivan
It seemed rather ridiculous to me as well.
I speny my first twenty-one years in Portsmouth, and wouldn't quarrel with the 'faded' - though it's certainly been much smartened up more recently.
Not bad for a guy with one eye and one arm.
"Let me alone: I have yet my legs and one arm. Tell the surgeon to make haste and his instruments. I know I must lose my right arm, so the sooner it's off the better."
"My character and good name are in my own keeping. Life with disgrace is dreadful. A glorious death is to be envied."
-- Admiral Lord Nelson
A recent National Geographic's article about the Battle of Trafalgar mentioned that in order to preserve Lord Nelson's body, it was brought back home in a barrel of brandy.
It's probably true, because Nelson chased him out of Egypt after the Battle of the Nile, and then there was the Battle of Copenhagen. Nelson routed the Danish fleet after being signaled during the height of the battle by Admiral Parker to discontinue the fight, and he said to marine Cap. Foley: "You know, Foley, I have only one eye. I have a right to be blind sometimes." And he put the looking glass to his blind eye and said, "I really do not see the signal." His ships pounded the Danes into surrendering as a result.
But Trafalgar will always remain his greatest triumph. He was a little bitty shrimp missing one eye and one arm lost in battle, but by God, Nelson knew how to win spectacular naval victories.
Are you talking about this...from a few years back?
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/caribbean/statue.htm
According to Royal Navy lore on the voyage back home the sailors surreptitiously tapped the barrel in question and drank the rum his body was pickled in.
That's why they call it "Nelson's Blood."
Imagine there's days when honor and duty are understood.
===============
Speaking of which, here's a cute little historical triva:
Not too long afterwards those famous words began showing up on the be-ribboned garters of daring young ladies.
-ccm
Anyone interested in the British Navy of the 18th and 19th century should read the Patrick O'Brien series which begins with Master and Commander. I'm on my third time through, this time in audio form.
LOL. And why not!
That's what I was thinking - Portsmouth looks much better now than it did 10 years ago. So "faded" perhaps isn't the right word - perhaps "reviving" is.
Regards, Ivan
ping
That's completely untrue. Where did you get the information from? Nelson has never been removed from his column, nor shall he be.
I should have checked it out.
That particular plinth had been empty since the square was constructed and there were always arguments about what should go there. Finally, the powers-that-be decided to put various works of art on there on a regularly-changing basis.
I also had the opportunity recently to re-visit Lord Nelson's flagship the HMS Victory, which is in drydock in Portsmouth England. I had visited it once in 1984 when I was in the Navy.
I must agree.
I am making my way through them for the first time, and am currently reading book 5, "Desolation Island." They are superb. I don't think I have ever read better prose. Ever.
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