Museum buys rare Battle of Trafalgar flag

A flag flown at the Battle of Trafalgar has been bought by a museum group.

North East Museums wants to put the union flag - commonly known as the union jack - on show at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle.

It was flown from HMS Royal Sovereign, the flagship of Nelson's second-in-command Newcastle-born Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, at Trafalgar in 1805. It is just one of three from the battle known to exist.

Collingwood's great-great-great niece Susan Collingwood-Cameron said the flag represented a tribute to some of the Tyneside sailors involved in the conflict.

The flag had been due to be taken out of the country before the government put an export bar on the exhibit due to its significance to the nation.

The bar gives institutions in the UK the opportunity to buy the flag and keep it in the country.

His descendent niece said she "couldn't be happier" and was "really relieved" the flag was staying in the North East and it would have been a "tragedy" to take it away.

North East Museums bought the flag for £450,000, using £400,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund along with other donations.

It said it was crowdfunding for about £250,000 to create a permanent display in Newcastle.

The flag measures 152.5 x 274.5 cm and has gunpowder stains and splinter tears.

Liberal Democrat Newcastle councillor Rob Austin said the purchase was a "fantastic achievement" and would give residents and visitors a chance to learn about how Newcastle shaped the nation.

North East Museum's director Keith Merrin said while Collingwood was a popular figure in the North East, he was perhaps not given the "national hero status" he and his crew deserved.

More than 500 sailors from Tyne and Wear served in Nelson's fleet at the battle, with many of those on board the HMS Royal Sovereign.

The Battle of Trafalgar saw the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte's plans to invade Britain and the death of Nelson.

Several thousand people were killed in the battle.

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