Exit bar placed on Union Jack at Trafalgar – History Blog

One of only three Union Jack flags to survive the Battle of Trafalgar is in danger of leaving the UK. Worn by RMS royal monarchThe ship that led the British attack is the most historic of the three and the only complete example of a first-rate flagship with 100 guns bearing the Union Jack. The Culture Secretary placed temporary export restrictions on the flag to give local institutions the opportunity to purchase the flag for a state purchase price of 450,000 pounds ($600,000) before it leaves the country.

The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21, 1805. The British fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets of Napoleon at a numerical disadvantage. HMS Sovereign, commanded by Admiral Collingwood, led one of the two lines of battleships, and Admiral Horatio Nelson’s HMS Victory led the other. In the light winds of the day, the Royal Sovereign was moving faster than the Victory and quickly got ahead of the other British ships, attacking the Spanish three-decker Santa Anna. The royal monarch and Santa Anna fought fiercely for nearly three hours until the latter surrendered. The Royal Sovereign’s foremast was badly damaged, but the Union Jack was still flying.

At the end of the battle, the Royal Sovereign lost her mizzenmast, mainmast and foremast. The rigging was shattered and the ship had to be towed away. The flag bears the scars of its role as a pole in battle. Holes, burn marks, gunpowder stains and splinters of wood from the ship are embedded in the woven cloth.

This flag is unique among the surviving flags of Trafalgar, having been made and repaired by the Royal Sovereign’s sailors. They are made from hand-sewn wool bunting with a weighted edge. One of the Royal Sovereign’s four captain’s mates, Charles Aubrey Antram, retained it after the operation, suggesting he may have been the signals mate. The work remained in his family until it was sold at auction in 2004 to a private collector.

Culture Secretary Baroness Twycross said:

There are few symbols in our country as evocative as the Union Jack, and this flag in particular is an extraordinary representation of British history and national identity.

The flag was crafted by ordinary British people and now symbolizes a defining moment in our nation’s history. I hope this hugely important historical artifact can remain in the UK for the public to enjoy. “