Admiral Nelson

Sailor and naval commander Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) is most famous for his victory over a Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar in 1805, where he was killed during the fighting. Nelson joined the Royal Navy at the age of 12. After losing the sight in one eye in fighting off Corsica and his arm in an attempt to conquer Tenerife, he took part in the victory against the Spanish at Cape St Vincent (1797). He returned home a hero after defeating the French at the battle of the Nile (1798) and went on to win the battle of Copenhagen (1801)

Nelson stands in the Nile culling crocodiles in James Gillray's cartoon 'Extirpation of the Plagues of Egypt' (1798). The crocodiles represent captured or destroyed French ships at the battle of the Nile, while Nelson is cast as a cross between Moses and Hercules. (Archiv Gerstenberg/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

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A portrait of Lady Emma Hamilton

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Portrait of English admiral Lord Horatio Nelson

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A painting by Louis Philippe Crepin depicting the battle of Trafalgar, 1805. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

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Podcast Website large Afua Hirsch

From Nelson to Churchill: challenging British heroes with Afua Hirsch . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Lemuel F Abbott's famous 1797 portrait of Horatio Nelson. In 1805, the British naval hero promised to speak publicly against the abolition of slavery, but was denied the opportunity by his death at Trafalgar later that year. (Picture by Alamy)

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The HMS Victory in Portsmouth

A visit to HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An episode of the naval battle at Trafalgar: the ship Redoutable (French) against the vessels Victory (British), Téméraire (British) and Thunderer (British). (Photo by Fototeca Gilardi/Getty Images).

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Clash between the English Temeraire and the French Redoutable ships during the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

The battle of Trafalgar . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Winner takes all: A painting shows the French ship 'Redoutable' clashing with the British 'Temeraire'.

Trafalgar, a futile victory? Why Nelson’s triumph didn’t turn the tide on Napoleon

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HMS Portsmouth, Hampshire. (Getty Images)

History explorer HMS Victory and the Georgian navy . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), 1797. Artist: Abbott, Lemuel Francis (1760-1802)

My history hero: Horatio Nelson (1758–1805) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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An engraving of Admiral Lord Nelson

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