Admiral Lord Nelson

Yesterday was the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson.

This has been huge in London. For the first time ever every public building was flying the white naval ensign as a mark of respect.

A battle 200 years ago seems irrelevant to us today, but in reality it was a world changing battle. It both established British naval superiority for the next 100 years (until the rise of Germany) but also stopped the French invasion of the British Isles.

Nelson joined the Royal Navy at 12 and was a Captain by the time he was 20!

I visited on Thursday St Pauls Cathedral and went into the crypt where he is buried – a very impressive sight. No photos allowed down there though but here are a couple of his column at Trafalgar Square.