Led by Horatio Nelson, the Brits triumphed over a French-Spanish fleet that outnumbered them in quantity and size.
Britain’s National Maritime Museum displayed the enormous flag for one day in 2005.
In fact, it was purposely built to compete with the Royal Navy’s lighter and more agile fleet.
Photo: National Maritime Museum
First launched in 1785, the ship carried 80 cannons andhowitzers.
The boat incorporated the most advanced technology of the time, straying from Spanish tradition.
Horatio Nelson’s Funeral by Augustus Charles Pugin, 1806.
Horatio Nelson’s Funeral by Augustus Charles Pugin, 1806. (Photo: Public domain viaWikipedia)
(Photo: Public domain viaWikipedia)
Some of the most important modifications were made the lighten the ship.
Unfortunately, the Spanish’s fears about the British being able to outmaneuver their ships weren’t unfounded.
Its ensign is particularly significant because it hung inside St. Paul’s Cathedral during Lord Horatio Nelson’s funeral.
As long as a ship was flying its ensign, it was still in battle.
