Flag from HMS Victory and Lord Nelson's love letters up for sale at London auction

A LARGE fragment of the Union Jack believed to have flown from HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar is up for auction.
The fragment from the Union Jack believed to have flown on board HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Credit: Sotheby'sThe fragment from the Union Jack believed to have flown on board HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Credit: Sotheby's
The fragment from the Union Jack believed to have flown on board HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Credit: Sotheby's

Forming part of a collection celebrating the life of Admiral Lord Nelson, Trafalgar and the British maritime tradition, the piece is expected to fetch between £80,000 and £100,000 at Sotheby’s in London today.

Eagle-eyed bidders will also get the chance to purchase love letters the British naval hero penned to his mistress, Emma Hamilton, between 1801 and 1803.

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Admiral Lord Nelson’s cabin grog chest and decanters, engraved glassware and sauce tureens are also estimated to sell for a collective sum of nearly £108,000.

Love letters Admiral Lord Nelson sent to his mistress, Emma Hamilton. Credit: Sotheby'sLove letters Admiral Lord Nelson sent to his mistress, Emma Hamilton. Credit: Sotheby's
Love letters Admiral Lord Nelson sent to his mistress, Emma Hamilton. Credit: Sotheby's

All of the items are part of a lot in the auction house’s ‘Of Royal and Noble Descent’ sale.

Reflecting on the collection, João Magalhães, Sotheby’s senior specialist in continental furniture, said: ‘This year, we are delighted to have been entrusted with a collection celebrating Britain’s hero, Nelson, which not only contains fragments of history, such as the Victory Jack, but also treasured items, from paintings and sculpture to porcelain and

silver tracked down for their links to Britain’s rich nautical past.

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‘Highlights in the sale also include table services which belonged to prominent families, important furniture and a replica set of the British Crown jewels.’

Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory, is situated in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.