The battle of Trafalgar was fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish navies. Admiral Lord Nelson, aboard HMS Victory, took twenty-seven British ships into battle against thirty three French and Spanish ships. The enemy lost twenty-two vessels and the British didn’t lose any.
But the beautiful ship is in trouble, its rigging and timber need replacing and it will cost a fortune. The Ministry of Defence plan to donate the 247-year-old warship to charity because they can’t afford a sixteen million pound repair bill and on top of that, another two million pounds a year to maintain. The 104-gun ship has been kept at Portsmouth Dockyard, Hampshire and there is a rumour that it could be hired out for private functions and parties.
A Royal Navy source said "It is an outrage and this should not happen, if Lord Nelson knew what his prized ship was being turned into, he would turn in his grave." But former First Sea Lord, Lord West, said: "It is inevitable she will be used for corporate events - and if we have to go this route to prevent her turning into a wreck, so be it."
The British Ministry of Defence is keen to reduce a thirty eight billion pound defence deficit and furious commanders are having to axe troops, fleets of warships, aircraft carriers, planes and armoured vehicles to fill a forty two billion pound black hole in the Defence budget.
But I don't think Lord Nelson would be too upset, it's well known that he was a bit of a party animal himself.
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