Waltz into the Wardroom of TS Dreadnought for a Trafalgar Night Dinner – a formal event steeped in naval tradition
Hosted in the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College, a location that holds an important connection to the evening, experience a black tie event for Trafalgar Night Dinner in the Painted Hall.
Every October, Trafalgar Night is commemorated in honour of the death and the victory of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson and his sailors at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.
This battle during the Napoleonic Wars saw the British Royal Navy triumph over the combined fleets of France and Spain, safeguarding Britain’s shores from Napoleon’s forces.
As a testament to Nelson’s legacy, following his death during the battle, his body was carried to the former records room at the back of the Painted Hall (now the Nelson Room), where it was prepared for a lying-in-state.
Nelson’s coffin was then presented in the Upper Hall, before his grand funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral. This story is preserved in the Nelson Room of the Old Royal Naval College, which details his final journey.
The Trafalgar Night Dinner is a black-tie event and a celebration of tradition, history and also the future of Britain’s maritime community. This year, it will be hosted on Thursday 17 October at 7:30pm.
So, what can you expect from the night?
The evening includes a four-course dinner, live music, a parade of the Baron of Beer, a guest speaker from the Royal Navy – who will give a speech on the Immortal Memory, there will be a “very special” auction – according to the Old Royal Naval College, and you will experience ships of the line, too.
The tickets cost £210 per person or enjoy a whole table of 10 people for the cost of £2,000.
When it comes to attire, it’s got to be either a 2A Mess Dress or a black tie with miniatures and decorations.
It is sure to feel like a moment of history.
This year’s dinner is hosted by the Greenwich, Deptford and Rotherhithe Sea Cadet Unit, which is one of the oldest in the country and is celebrating its 103rd year this year.
Based in TS Dreadnought, within the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, the Sea Cadet Unit provides opportunities for young people to develop life skills.
All proceeds from the dinner will directly benefit the young people of the Greenwich, Deptford and Rotherhithe Sea Cadet Unit, and directly support the cadets’ continued growth and education.
Thursday 17 October 2024, 7:30pm
Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, SE10 9NN
ornc.org/whats-on/trafalgar-night-dinner
Image by Roger M Stevens ARPS
