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Royal Navy marks 220th anniversary of Trafalgar Day in annual ceremony on board HMS Victory
21 October 2025
HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned warship in the world and is the Flagship of the Head of the Naval Service, First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins.
Trafalgar Day is the most important day in Victory’s calendar and Tuesday 21st October saw a ceremony held onboard Victory, marking the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, a battle which changed the course of our history as a nation, and which sealed British dominion of the seas for a hundred years.
The day started with the daily naval ceremony of ‘Colours’, as the White Ensign of the Royal Navy and the Union Jack are hauled up, followed shortly afterwards by the flag sequence indicating Nelson’s famous message to the Fleet that “England expects that every man will do his duty”.
Nelson’s tactical genius in splitting the line of enemy ships had already set the pre-conditions for victory, when only an hour into the Battle, Nelson was hit by a French sharpshooters’ musket ball as he paced Victory’s quarterdeck, directing the battle. He fell, fatally wounded, on a spot marked by a lovingly polished brass plaque, which now forms the centrepiece of the Trafalgar Day Ceremony and is the where the Royal Navy’s Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Paul Beattie will lay a wreath of Remembrance in the ceremony led by the Chaplain of the Fleet, the Reverand Doctor Mark Davidson KHC.
This year is Lieutenant Commander Steve Cass’ first Trafalgar Day in his role as Victory’s 102nd Commanding Officer, and he expressed his immense pride at playing such a key part in the ceremony.
He said: “It has been a personal honour to take part in the traditional ceremony, to read Lord Collingwood’s words written after the battle and lay a wreath on behalf of the ships company at the spot where Lord Nelson sadly died from his wounds. His command, leadership, management, and the core values of those who fought valiantly 220 years ago are still valid and endure as a source of pride and inspiration.
“This morning, as well as formally paying respects to the Nation’s greatest naval hero and the bravery of all at the battle in 1805, we also spare a thought for all personnel who serve today.”