Lord Mayor of Portsmouth to lead the city in its annual service for seafarers and those who have lost their lives at sea

Flashback to 2020 and Portsmouth MPs Stephen Morgan and Penny Mordaunt lay wreaths during the annual Seafarers' Service at the city's cathedral. Picture: Portsmouth Cathedral/

The service, on Sunday October 1, will also commemorate the life of Admiral Lord Nelson.

At 11.15am the Lord Mayor, Cllr Tom Coles, will be joined by the Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, and the Mayors of Fareham, Gosport and Havant, for the service at Portsmouth Cathedral in Old Portsmouth.

The service will be led by the Dean of Portsmouth, the Very Reverend Dr Anthony Cane.

Senior officers from the Royal Navy will also attend the cathedral service, as well as representatives of community, military and charitable organisations.

A collection will be taken for the Seafarers' Charity.

At just after 11am the Lord Mayor will lead a short civic procession along St Thomas's Street to the cathedral. After the service the same procession will take attendees to the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson in Grand Parade, Old Portsmouth, where the Lord-Lieutenant will lead the laying of wreaths.

The Lord Mayor will then go to the sea wall where he will commit a wreath to the sea to commemorate all those whose lives have been lost at sea.

The Lord Mayor said: "It is important, as a port city, that we take the time to be thankful for seafarers and remember those who have lost their lives at sea.

"I am honoured to be part of this poignant service to honour seafarers."

The service takes place just a few days after Lord Nelson’s birthday, which was on September 28 1758.

The Annual National Service for Seafarers, organised by The Seafarers’ Charity and Trinity House, will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral on October 11 (5pm).

The service has been held nearly every year since 1905 to unite seafarers from the Merchant and Royal Navies, as well as those from fishing fleets, workboats, cruise liners, commercial shipping, yachts and ferries.This year’s service will commemorate those seafarers who lost their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic, which marks its 80th Anniversary this year.

The six-year battle for control of the Atlantic sea routes was the longest continuous campaign of the Second World War and critical to keeping Britain supplied with food, industrial supplies, men and munitions.

At least 26,500 British Merchant Navy and 23,000 Royal Navy seafarers lost their lives in the Battle.