A new £15 million museum honouring the Royal Marines, including their role at the Battle of Trafalgar, opens on Saturday at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The Royal Marines Experience in Boathouse 6 pays tribute to the Corps' 360-year history, with the opening timed to coincide with the 221st anniversary of Britain's decisive naval victory.
Royal Marines' Sacrifice at Trafalgar Remembered
The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21, 1805, off Cape Trafalgar in south-west Spain, where 27 British ships of the line faced 33 French and Spanish vessels. The victory ended Napoleon's plans to gain maritime supremacy of the English Channel and threaten invasion of the British isles, but it came at a heavy cost: 458 British were killed and 1,208 wounded, including many Royal Marines.
Among the fallen was Captain Charles Adair, commander of the Royal Marines aboard HMS Victory. Stationed on the poop-deck with 40 marines, Adair was killed by a musket ball after his party was reduced to ten men. Second Lieutenant Lewis Roteley, who survived, later wrote that "the poop became a slaughter-house" and recalled Adair's last order: "Roteley, fire away as fast as you can."
Immersive Experience and Historic Artefacts
The museum features interactive galleries, multimedia displays, and hundreds of historic items, including Adair's dress sword, flintlock pistols, medals awarded at Trafalgar, and a boatswain's call taken from the French ship Algeciras. Visitors can also take on Commando challenges that reveal the physical and mental demands of service.
The project received a £4.4 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation, Royal Navy Museums reserves, and private donations. Matthew Sheldon, CEO of Royal Navy Museums, said: "We want this to feel like a museum you can step into, not simply look at." He added that visitors will explore the Corps' history "in a way that feels human, powerful and enjoyable."
