Trafalgar Night Dinner 2007 - final tickets available

Laura Wilkinson

5 September 2007

Saturday 20 October 7pm

Trafalgar Night is a unique occasion where guests experience a truly traditional naval dinner within the surroundings of the richly decorated Painted Hall - one of the finest banqueting halls in Europe. The evening costs £115 per person and begins at 7pm with a cocktail reception in the newly refurbished Queen Mary Undercroft, a three course dinner follows complete with the parade of the Baron of Beef and chocolate Ships-of-the-Line. The Loyal Toast – to Nelson’s immortal memory – brings the dinner to a close. Entertainment is provided by the Royal Artillery Band with support from the Royal Hospital School Drummers and Sea Cadets. The guest speaker for this year is Vice Admiral Peter Dunt CB who trained as a naval officer when the College was the active Royal Naval College.

The Painted Hall was originally designed by Sir Christopher Wren as the dining room for the Royal Hospital for Seamen in the late 17th century. However, the injured sailors were never lucky enough to eat in the Hall as the elaborate paintings took Sir James Thornhill nineteen years to complete. The Painted Hall did however play a highly significant role for the Hospital in 1806 when Admiral Lord Nelson ‘lay-in-state’ following his death at the Battle of Trafalgar. For 3 days crowds (estimates range from 15 – 30,0000) were admitted to view his body in a renewed outpouring of grief since the victory at Trafalgar on October 21st 1805. Following the closure of the Hospital in 1869 the Royal Navy moved in and established the Old Royal Naval College and at this time the Painted Hall was reclaimed as a dining hall and naval officers from across the globe enjoyed many dinners here including the annual Trafalgar Night Dinner. The legacy of this tradition continues as the Painted Hall functions as a banqueting hall for corporate and private hire and each year the Greenwich Foundation continues to celebrate Trafalgar Night on the closest Saturday to the 21st October.

Issued 5 September 2007

For additional details and images contact Laura Wilkinson, Marketing & Events Manager, Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College.
020 8269 4763 / 07890 314499
lwilkinson@greenwichfoundation.org.uk