Britain marks 200th anniversary of Trafalgar Battle

Thousands of spectators are expected to gather in Portsmouth, southern England, on Tuesday as celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar reach the climax, the Sky News reported.

A spokesman for Trafalgar 200 said up to 150,000 spectators and hundreds of VIP guests were expected to attend the activities, depending on the weather.

Queen Elizabeth will inspect a massive gathering of the world's navies, including 167 ships from the Royal Navy and 35 other nations. They have anchored at Spithead in the Solent in front of the naval base at Portsmouth for the International Fleet Review.

Besides warships, the vessels include tall ships, lifeboats and cruise liners.

The Queen, as Lord High Admiral, will carry out the inspection on board HMS Endurance. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will be among the royals witnessing the review from other navy ships.

The battle, which broke out on October 21, 1805, off the Spanish coast between Britain and France, spelled the start of the end for French Napoleon Bonaparte's conquest of Europe and gave Britain command of the seas for a century.

As part of the celebrations on Tuesday, there will be a mock sea battle, which will involve a fleet of 17 ships from five nations.

Source: Xinhua