Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson
Vice-Admiral of the White
"England expects that every man will do his duty."
Biography
Horatio Nelson was Britain's greatest naval hero, a commander who combined tactical brilliance with personal courage to the point of recklessness — losing his right eye at Calvi and his right arm at Tenerife. He shattered French naval power at the Nile in 1798 and destroyed the Danish fleet at Copenhagen in 1801. At Trafalgar in 1805 he devised and executed an audacious two-column attack that annihilated the Franco-Spanish fleet, but he insisted on wearing his full-dress uniform with his decorations clearly visible and was shot by a French sharpshooter from the mizzen-top of the Redoutable. He survived three hours below decks, long enough to learn the scope of his victory, and died saying 'Thank God I have done my duty.' His body was preserved in a cask of brandy for the voyage home.
Did you know?
Nelson had a well-documented affair with Lady Emma Hamilton, wife of the British ambassador to Naples, and their illegitimate daughter Horatia survived him. He requested on his deathbed that the nation care for Emma — a request the government ignored.
Key Battles
Battle of Trafalgar
Coalition victoryOctober 21, 1805 · 15,447 total casualties
Trafalgar permanently ended Napoleon's hopes of invading Britain and established Royal Navy supremacy for the remainder of the century. It compelled Napoleon to abandon maritime ambitions and pivot to his Continental System strategy, ultimately contributing to his downfall.
Life Journey
Timeline
September 29, 1758
🌅 Birth
Born in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk
August 1, 1798
⚔️ Battle
Destroys French fleet at Battle of the Nile
April 2, 1801
⚔️ Battle
Victory at Battle of Copenhagen
September 14, 1805
event
Departs Portsmouth for his last campaign
October 21, 1805
✝️ Death
Killed at the moment of his greatest victory, Trafalgar