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Royal Navy to mark anniversary of Trafalgar


Blackleaf

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Britain to celebrate the anniversary of its victory over dictator Napoleon.

Last night, warships from 35 countries had gathered in the Solent for the biggest international display of sea power in British waters since the Normandy invasion in 1944.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk . . .

The closest living relative of Lord Nelson said yesterday that the French should be "adult enough" not to be offended by a recreation of Trafalgar as part of the 200th anniversary of the battle.

But it emerged for the first time that France's participation in the huge commemoration of Nelson's Navy tomorrow was far from certain when the invitation was made.

Anna Tribe, 75, Nelson's great-great-great granddaughter by his mistress Emma Hamilton, derided the idea of a "red versus blue" recreation of sea warfare as "pretty stupid". The plan was drawn up to avoid affronting the French and Spanish navies, whose ships will be among the 167 vessels attending an international fleet review tomorrow, including 60 ships of the Royal Navy.

"I am sure the French and Spanish are adult enough to appreciate we did win that battle," said Mrs Tribe, from Raglan, Monmouthshire. "I am anti political correctness. Very much against it. It makes fools of us."

She was speaking at a champagne reception for more than 200 descendants of Nelson and others of the 17,000 officers and sailors who fought at Trafalgar.

But Mrs Tribe's broadside bounced off the bows of Admiral Sir Alan West, the First Sea Lord, who revealed that it had, even after two centuries, been necessary to consider the sensitivities of the former enemy.

"The French had to think quite hard about if they wanted to be involved," he said.

The recreation will involve 100 actors aboard 17 ships from Holland, Britain, France, Italy and Bulgaria, performing on a mile-long water stage.

An actor will play the part of Nelson, and will be rowed in a replica of the original cutter used to carry the vice-admiral aboard Victory in 1805. Victory is being depicted by the Grand Turk, a replica 18th-century frigate.

Last night, warships from 35 countries had gathered in the Solent for the biggest international display of sea power in British waters since the Normandy invasion in 1944.

The Queen will review the gathered fleet from the Arctic survey ship Endurance, and other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, will look on from vessels spread out along six miles of water.

The naval fleet includes five aircraft carriers, 24 frigates, 11 destroyers and five submarines, with vessels from France, Spain, America, South Korea and Japan. The largest vessel present will be the French carrier Charles de Gaulle, at 223ft long.

A spokesman said that navies from around the world had been invited to emphasise the importance of co-operation at sea. "We have strong links with navies abroad to ensure that this trade and our seas are safe," he said.

"The fleet review is a world event to celebrate this and foreign navies have been invited in a spirit of friendship and co-operation."

Up to 250,000 people are expected to watch the vast gathering from the shore at Southsea and thousands of private craft will bring spectators on to the water for a close-up view.

For many, the highlight will be the recreation of a Nelsonic sea action, but there will also be a huge firework display - 10,000 fireworks, weighing more than 12 tons, will be fired from 35 pontoons and six barges. The show will be visible five miles away.

On the day, a 200-yard exclusion zone will be in place around each warship, to be enforced by 250 personnel on board the ships and a further 150 in patrol vessels.

Steve Watts, Hampshire police's assistant chief constable, said officers were already carrying out random vehicle checks on vehicles in the county as part of advance security preparations.

He added: "At this time there is no specific threat to the Trafalgar 200 celebrations but it would be wrong of us and the Royal Navy to ignore the possibility of terrorist preparations and therefore we have contingency plans in place."

Capt Richards believed that one of the biggest problems organisers faced was the potential for small craft to get too close to the warships.

He said: "Our main concern is the casual yachtsman who is coming down from his gin palace in London. We want him to be aware of the measures we are putting in place."

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June 27, 2005

Admirals gather to celebrate Nelson

By Sam Knight, Times Online

The heads of 57 navies will dine aboard HMS Victory in Portsmouth tonight as they prepare for tomorrow's celebrations to mark 200 years since Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Tomorrow's festivities, which include a formal review of the international fleet by the Queen, a fly-past and a politically sanitised re-enactment of the Battle of Trafalgar, are the grandest of the events planned over the next four months to mark Nelson's triumph and death.

More than 25,000 sailors from 36 navies and 150 ships - from state-of-the-art minesweepers, to tall ships and aircraft carriers - have gathered in Portsmouth over the last week to form the international fleet that the Queen will inspect tomorrow afternoon in her role of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom.

Ships from both Spain and France will join the fleet to show that 200 years have helped calm Europe's waters. France has even sent the largest vessel, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to take part, although, in an undiplomatic moment, the carrier was towed into Portsmouth yesterday by a tugboat named Trafalgar.

The Queen is expected to take up to three hours to inspect the fours rows of ships that will be lined up along five miles of open water off Spithead. As many as 10,000 private boats are expected to buzz among the fleet as well.

After the review, the Queen's first since the Silver Jubilee in 1977, a fly-past of 50 aircraft will roar over the Solent and the tall ships will take their positions for the re-enactment of "early 19th century sea battle" in which the death of Nelson will be recreated.

"Red" and "Blue" will fight the sea battle rather than Britain, France and Spain, and yesterday Anna Tribe, the great, great, great-granddaughter of Admiral Nelson and Emma Hamilton complained of what she described as the political correctness of the celebration.

"I am sure the French and Spanish are adult enough to appreciate we did win that battle. I am anti-political correctness. Very much against it. It makes fools of us," said Mrs Tribe, 75, at a gathering of descendants of sailors who fought in the battle in Portsmouth.

At the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson defeated the combined fleets of Napoleonic France and her ally Spain without losing a single British ship.

After the re-enactment, there will be an enormous fireworks display and celebrations and memorials will take place all week in Portsmouth.

In the autumn, Nelson's funeral flotilla will be recreated on the River Thames, and over the weekend of the actual anniversary of the battle on October 21, a wreath will be laid at Cape Trafalgar, a church service will be held at St Paul's Cathedral and more celebrations will follow in Trafalgar Square.

timesonline.co.uk

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Ye lets celebrate something that hapend 200 years ago blink.gif its good having a history but do we have to be reminded about it all the time

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Ah come on, it's worth it to wind up the French isn't it!

(*joke*)

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Ah come on, it's worth it to wind up the French isn't it!

(*joke*)

701625[/snapback]

Blackleaf has probarly done a deal with Blair to p*** Chirac of

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Ah come on, it's worth it to wind up the French isn't it!

(*joke*)

701625[/snapback]

Blackleaf has probarly done a deal with Blair to p*** Chirac of

701629[/snapback]

Before i forget ,why do we need boats from 35 countries to act it out no.gif what a waste of man power and cash,if they havethis mutch time on their hands with nothing to do they could have filled up these boats with aid and sailed to africa and saved a few lifes anstead of p***ing a few of ,

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Why shouldn't we celebrate it? The Americans celebrate the fact that they got their independence from Britain every 4th July (even though they got their independence on 5th July and are therefore celebrating on the wrong day).

To really put the boot into the French, we should also celebrate the anniversary of Agincourt and the Battle of Waterloo.

And to really finish off the wounded French, London will win the bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Also, what wrong with annoying Chirac? He's an idiot. Even the French hate him.

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Blackleaf there is celebrating and there is going overboard,ships coming from 35 countries to reinact the battle.

i could do it in the bath with my sons old bath time toys and at a fraction of the cost

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Your hatred towards the French is hilarious.I always thought Germany is France's archenemy........Well,I'm sure they don't mind to give that title to you now tongue.gif

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However, I think the Government is spoling because of its stupid political corectness. A mock battle will take place tomorrow, but it is now allowed to be "Britain VS France/Spain". It has to be "Red VS Blue." That is so that we don't "upset" the French and Spanish!

Can you imagine, during July 4th celebrations, the American government saying "During these celebrations, we'd better not say that it was the American Colonies VS Britain. We have to say it was Red VS Blue so that we don't upset the British"?

27 June 2005

TRAFALGAR REPLAY 'IS ALL WRONG'

By Chris Hughes

ONE of Admiral Nelson's descendants yesterday blasted the "political correctness" of a sea battle to mark 200 years since the Battle of Trafalgar.

Anna Tribe, 75, the great, great, great granddaughter of Admiral Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton said it hides the fact that Britain won.

A fleet of 17 ships from five countries is to take part in a mock sea battle off Southsea, Hants. This will pit a "red navy" against a "blue navy" in a skirmish reminiscent of Nelson's victory.

But Mrs Tribe, from Monmouthshire, said: "I think the idea of the blue team fighting the red team is pretty stupid.

"I am sure the French and Spanish are adult enough to appreciate we did win that battle. I am anti political correctness. It makes fools of us."

Descendants of sailors who fought in the battle on October 21, 1805, met for the Trafalgar 200 celebrations.

Craig Nelson, 30, a Royal Marine Commando, said: "It is a great honour."

mirror.co.uk

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Blackleaf there is celebrating and there is going overboard,ships coming from 35 countries to reinact the battle.

i could do it in the bath with my sons old bath time toys and at a fraction of the cost

701646[/snapback]

Are you telling me that the Ark Royal or the Invincible could fit in your bath?

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Your hatred towards the French is hilarious.I always thought Germany is France's archenemy........Well,I'm sure they don't mind to give that title to you now  tongue.gif

701647[/snapback]

Erm, no. The French and Germans are bum chums. Chirac and Schroeder are lovers. The French love cosying up to the Germans. Why? Because they are scared of them.

The rivalry between England and France is probably the oldest in the world. Except maybe that between Japan and China.

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Blackleaf there is celebrating and there is going overboard,ships coming from 35 countries to reinact the battle.

i could do it in the bath with my sons old bath time toys and at a fraction of the cost

701646[/snapback]

Are you telling me that the Ark Royal or the Invincible could fit in your bath?

701658[/snapback]

Try reading my post and you will see that i said `with my sons old bath time toys

And yes i could fit these two boats into my bath,you have not seen the size of my bath,it has to be big enough to fit me and my penis

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27 June 2005

Queen Elizabeth to review massed foreign fleets

By Jeremy Lovell

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth will on Tuesday conduct the world's biggest review of navies, gathered off the southern English coast to commemorate British naval hero Horatio Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar 200 years ago.

More than 160 warships and other vessels from 35 navies have assembled in the Solent in front of the naval base at Portsmouth, and the heads of 59 navies have also come along.

"In total 63 nations are represented here," a spokeswoman for Trafalgar 200 told Reuters. "It is the biggest ever international naval assembly in terms of the number of fleets involved."

France, the United States, Spain and Italy have sent aircraft carrier battle groups to join a Royal Navy carrier group at Spithead, with navies from Australia to Russia also sending warships, merchant ships and tall masted sailing ships.

The battle off the Spanish coast on October 21, 1805 spelled the start of the end for Napoleon Bonaparte's conquest of Europe and gave Britain command of the seas for a century.

But Nelson, aged just 47, was killed by a French sniper in the epic sea battle that pitted the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 33 warships against just 27 English ships of the line.

As part of the celebrations on Tuesday there will be a recreation of a 19th century sea battle.

But in a nod to diplomacy that has drawn a broadside from Nelson's closest living relative, there will be no mention of the nationalities of the fleets involved in the original battle -- the combattants will instead be the Red and Blue fleets.

"I think the idea of the blue team fighting the red team is pretty stupid," said 75-year-old Anna Tribe, great-great-great granddaughter of the married Nelson and his lover Emma Hamilton.

"I am sure the French and Spanish are adult enough to appreciate we did win that battle. I am anti political-correctness. Very much against it. It makes fools of us," she added.

The fleet review is one among a host of festivities to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle, including an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum comparing Nelson and Bonaparte and noting how similar they were in character.

Nelson -- who was blinded in his right eye and lost his right arm in different battles -- had celebrity status in 19th-century Britain.

He won a series of naval victories but also shocked society with a flagrant affair with Emma Hamilton -- living under the same roof with her and her husband while his own abandoned wife pined.

But he was a hero to his officers and history has been kind.

On Tuesday the Queen will be aboard the Endurance, the Royal Navy's Antarctic survey vessel, sailing up and down the lines of assembled ships.

It is the first fleet review since the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.

The naval spectacular will end with a fireworks display and then the ships will dramatically turn on all their lights.

mirror.co.uk

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Blackleaf there is celebrating and there is going overboard,ships coming from 35 countries to reinact the battle.

i could do it in the bath with my sons old bath time toys and at a fraction of the cost

701646[/snapback]

Are you telling me that the Ark Royal or the Invincible could fit in your bath?

701658[/snapback]

Try reading my post and you will see that i said `with my sons old bath time toys

And yes i could fit these two boats into my bath,you have not seen the size of my bath,it has to be big enough to fit me and my penis

701665[/snapback]

So it is true that Scotland has the highest obesity rate in the UK.

Also, I might have known that a Scots would be against the celebrations. After all, you don't want the English celebrating victory over your closest allies, do you?

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Erm, no. The French and Germans are bum chums. Chirac and Schroeder are lovers. The French love cosying up to the Germans. Why? Because they are scared of them.

The rivalry between England and France is probably the oldest in the world. Except maybe that between Japan and China.

Actually,the rivalry between France and Germany is way older.They have been fighting each other since the downfall of the Holy Roman empire(second reich).

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Try reading my post and you will see that i said `with my sons old bath time toys

And yes i could fit these two boats into my bath,you have not seen the size of my bath,it has to be big enough to fit me and my penis

So it is true that Scotland has the highest obesity rate in the UK.

Also, I might have known that a Scots would be against the celebrations. After all, you don't want the English celebrating victory over your closest allies, do you?

Someone hit the report button, before I do.

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Erm, no. The French and Germans are bum chums. Chirac and Schroeder are lovers. The French love cosying up to the Germans. Why? Because they are scared of them.

The rivalry between England and France is probably the oldest in the world. Except maybe that between Japan and China.

Actually,the rivalry between France and Germany is way older.They have been fighting each other since the downfall of the Holy Roman empire(second reich).

701680[/snapback]

Second reich and left at the lights(sorry Snake slip of the finger) no.gif

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Try reading my post and you will see that i said `with my sons old bath time toys

And yes i could fit these two boats into my bath,you have not seen the size of my bath,it has to be big enough to fit me and my penis

So it is true that Scotland has the highest obesity rate in the UK.

Also, I might have known that a Scots would be against the celebrations. After all, you don't want the English celebrating victory over your closest allies, do you?

Someone hit the report button, before I do.

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Share on other sites

Erm, no. The French and Germans are bum chums. Chirac and Schroeder are lovers. The French love cosying up to the Germans. Why? Because they are scared of them.

The rivalry between England and France is probably the oldest in the world. Except maybe that between Japan and China.

Actually,the rivalry between France and Germany is way older.They have been fighting each other since the downfall of the Holy Roman empire(second reich).

701680[/snapback]

England and France have been rivals since the French invaded us in 1066.

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Erm, no. The French and Germans are bum chums. Chirac and Schroeder are lovers. The French love cosying up to the Germans. Why? Because they are scared of them.

The rivalry between England and France is probably the oldest in the world. Except maybe that between Japan and China.

Actually,the rivalry between France and Germany is way older.They have been fighting each other since the downfall of the Holy Roman empire(second reich).

701680[/snapback]

England and France have been rivals since the French invaded us in 1066.

701695[/snapback]

So when did the holy roman empire collapse?The second one?

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It's true. France is Scotland's oldest ally, and both have sided with each other against England in the past.

Portugal is England's oldest ally, and the treaty of friendship signed between the two countries is the oldest international treaty in the world.

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Erm, no. The French and Germans are bum chums. Chirac and Schroeder are lovers. The French love cosying up to the Germans. Why? Because they are scared of them.

The rivalry between England and France is probably the oldest in the world. Except maybe that between Japan and China.

Actually,the rivalry between France and Germany is way older.They have been fighting each other since the downfall of the Holy Roman empire(second reich).

701680[/snapback]

England and France have been rivals since the French invaded us in 1066.

701695[/snapback]

I don't know.

There was NO Germany before the 1860's.

So when did the holy roman empire collapse?The second one?

701698[/snapback]

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