A Royal Navy flag flown during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 will remain in Britain following a successful fundraising campaign. The Union Flag, which flew from HMS Royal Sovereign—the flagship of Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, second-in-command to Lord Nelson—was at risk of being sold overseas before an export bar was placed on it due to its historical significance.

The flag will now be displayed permanently in Newcastle, Collingwood’s birthplace. Susan Collingwood-Cameron, the admiral’s great-great-great-niece, highlighted the flag’s connection to the sailors from the Tyneside region. She noted that the flag was reportedly made by crew members aboard Royal Sovereign, many of whom hailed from the area and were affectionately called the “Tars of the Tyne” by Collingwood. She emphasized that the flag serves as a tribute to those men and their role in one of Britain’s defining naval victories, adding that descendants of the sailors may still live locally.

Measuring approximately 1.5 by 2.7 meters, the hand-stitched wool bunting flag has survived in relatively good condition despite visible scars from its long history. The Battle of Trafalgar was a crucial engagement during the Napoleonic Wars, and only three flags from the battle are known to remain today.

The flag had been preserved as a souvenir by Charles Aubrey Antram, a 17-year-old master’s mate aboard Royal Sovereign. The fundraising effort to keep the flag in the country is being coordinated by North East Museums, which has secured more than two-thirds of the £700,000 target needed to acquire the artifact and establish a permanent exhibition space for it at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle. The campaign underscores the importance of preserving historical artifacts linked to Britain’s naval heritage.