As previously revealed in The News, Victory is the crowning jewel in the new National Museum of the Royal Navy, which was launched with a deafening 64-cannon rolling broadside from Victory's decks.

At the Historic Dockyard to launch the new museum were Head of the Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope and Baroness Taylor, the under secretary of state and minister for international defence and security.

The National Museum is an umbrella organisation of HMS Victory and four existing museums - the Royal Navy Marines Museum in Portsmouth, the Royal Marines Museum in Eastney, Gosport's Royal Navy Submarine Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, Somerset.

Before launching the museum with a call of 'make ready' to Victory's gunners, Sir Mark said: 'The bringing together of the museums will allow all of us to understand better our cultural identity as an island nation - one with a seafaring tradition, dependent on maritime trade and the freedom of the seas.'

See tomorrow's News (September 19) for full coverage of the event.