Nelson was killed by an old, outsized musket ball that wouldn't have fitted into a slim, modern french musket barrel. He lived to learn of his victory, and he died when the last shots were fired. What i find most remarkable about nelson's dying moments is how he managed to convince those around him that he was indeed dying. The surgeon himself had to turn away to hide his tears. And only then nelson was er able to take his farewell,. pressing his wishes for his mistress, lady hamilton, and asking his friend, captain hardy to kiss him good bye.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the events of 21st October 1805, in which the British fleet led by Nelson destroyed a combined Franco-Spanish fleet in the Atlantic off the coast of Spain. Nelson's death that day was deeply mourned in Britain, and his example proved influential, and the battle was to help sever ties between Spain and its American empire. In France meanwhile, even before Nelson's body was interred at St Paul's, the setback at Trafalgar was overshadowed by Napoleon's decisive victory over Russia and Austria at Austerlitz, though Napoleon's search for his lost naval strength was to shape his plans for further conquests.
The image above is from 'The Battle of Trafalgar' by JMW Turner (1824).
With
James Davey
Lecturer in Naval and Maritime History at the University of Exeter
Marianne Czisnik
Independent researcher on Nelson and editor of his letters to Lady Hamilton
And
Kenneth Johnson
Research Professor of National Security at Air University, Alabama
Producer: Simon Tillotson