Trafalgar 200 International Fleet Review

Probably the biggest peacetime naval event the world will see throughout the whole of the 21st Century took place on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 in the Solent off Portsmouth, UK. A unique range of sea vessels filled the waters of the eastern Solent and aircraft and helicopters took part in thrilling fly-pasts.

The Royal Navy had invited 35 foreign navies and 24 maritime organisations from around the world to send a total of 105 warships and naval support ships plus 51 non-naval vessels to take part in friendship in the International Fleet Review to celebrate Trafalgar 200 ( T200 ) - 200 years since 1805, when at the Battle of Trafalgar Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson's fleet finally destroyed Napoleon's ability to invade Britain with his then invincible armies by sea. Nelson, in his famous flagship HMS Victory, died a hero at Trafalgar.

International Fleet Review ranged from the massive USS Saipan and France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carriers to romantic tall ships under sail, tugs and Cunard's famous QE2 luxury liner, as well as a huge contingent of all types of warship from the Royal Navy. Merchant ships, racing and cruising yachts, fishing boats and family and work boats were also there - a dramatic reminder of the importance of the sea in Britain's national life.

The ships queued almost into Southampton as they were reviewed by Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II, on waters that had seen the massive naval reviews of Victorian and Edwardian times - when Britain's navy really did rule the waves and was always kept bigger than the combined might of the world's next two biggest navies - all the way back to King Henry VIII inspecting his warships in the early 16th Century as he built the Royal Navy.

By: Leon Reis

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Leon Reis is the Director of Artists Harbour.
We provide sales, marketing and production services to artists from our maritime art gallery in a historic Royal Navy gun store 100 metres from Tudor warship Mary Rose and Nelson's Trafalgar flagship, HMS Victory, at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire, UK.