From broadside battles off the Mediterranean coast to Vice Admiral Lord Nelson’s triumph in the Battle of Trafalgar and campaigns in the Baltic, the guardians of HMS Victory have had plenty of reasons to celebrate since the iconic naval juggernaut first set sail in 1778.
This week the Victory’s home at Portsmouth marked 88 years since the ship moved into her final resting place in Number 2 Dock at His Majesty's Dockyard – a position from which it still attracts 350,000 visitors every year as part of the Historic Dockyard.
HMS Victory in 1884
Finished at Chatham Dockyard, the Victory saw 34 years of service before being retired from frontline duty in 1812 in a bid by First Sea Lord Thomas Hardy to save the ship from the scrapheap.
The ship looked picture postcard perfect in the recent snowy weather. Picture: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
It fulfilled "practical and ceremonial" duties for 110 years, but concerns over the condition of the ship resulted in a national appeal by the Society for Nautical Research.
Workers immediately set about restoring her original appearance when she was moved to Portsmouth, and the Victory remains in commission as the flagship of the Second Sea Lord of the Royal Navy’s Home Command.
