What is HMS Victory?
HMS Victory is a Royal Navy warship best known as Admiral Horatio Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Launched in 1765, it is the world's oldest naval ship still in commission and is preserved at Portsmouth.
The ship was built at Chatham Dockyard in Kent. It carried more than 100 guns and a crew of about 850 men.
At the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson led the British fleet to victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets. He was shot by a French sniper and died on board.
Preserving the ship
HMS Victory has been in dry dock at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard since 1922. It remains the flagship of the First Sea Lord, the head of the Royal Navy.
Visitors can explore the decks, see the cramped living conditions of sailors and visit the place where Nelson died.
A long restoration program is under way to repair the ship's timbers and support its hull.
The ship is one of Portsmouth's main attractions, along with the Mary Rose and HMS Warrior.