Royal Navy Museums

Royal Navy Museums Linking Navy and Nation with inspiring stories and experiences.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy was created in early 2009 to act as a single non-departmental public body for the museums of the Royal Navy. With venues across the United Kingdom, the museums detail the history of the Royal Navy operating on and under the sea, on land and in the air. We currently have HMS Warrior, HMS Victory, HMS M33 and other attractions at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, ai

rcraft at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, HMS Caroline in Belfast and HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool. If you would like to become a member of the National Museum of the Royal Navy and start you maritime adventure please go to https://www.nmrn.org.uk/membership

⚓ A uniform. A family. A story of loss.Lieutenant John Binney's naval uniform is a rare surviving example from the early...
22/06/2026

⚓ A uniform. A family. A story of loss.

Lieutenant John Binney's naval uniform is a rare surviving example from the early Victorian Royal Navy. Its distinctive red facings were worn for only a brief period, making it an unusual survival.

Most officers replaced their uniforms as they progressed through their careers. Lieutenant Binney never had that chance.

He drowned while on active service, and his uniform, together with his personal effects, was returned to his family. Rather than being altered, worn out or discarded, it was carefully preserved as a lasting tribute to their son.

Today, the uniform survives at Royal Navy Museums: Portsmouth not simply as an example of nineteenth-century naval dress, but as a reminder of the human stories behind museum collections. It connects us to a young Royal Navy officer whose life ended too soon, and to the family who ensured his memory would endure.

Discover the stories that connect Navy and Nation through the people who lived them.

https://orlo.uk/WOumm

🎂 Happy Birthday to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.As part of his military training, Prince William spent time w...
21/06/2026

🎂 Happy Birthday to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

As part of his military training, Prince William spent time with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, gaining first-hand experience of life at sea and the role the Royal Navy plays around the world.

In 2008, he undertook a Royal Navy attachment that included training across naval and Royal Marine establishments before joining the Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke on operations. He also spent time with the Fleet Air Arm, learning more about naval aviation and the people who serve within it.

His time with the Royal Navy formed part of a wider military career dedicated to understanding the experiences, responsibilities and service of the Armed Forces.

Today, we wish The Prince of Wales a very happy birthday.

⚓️ From the decks of HMS Victory to the ships, submarines and aircraft serving around the world today, one thing has rem...
20/06/2026

⚓️ From the decks of HMS Victory to the ships, submarines and aircraft serving around the world today, one thing has remained constant: the people who answer the call to serve.

This Armed Forces Day, we honour the sailors, marines, aviators, reservists, veterans and military families whose dedication, courage and sacrifice help keep our nation safe.

The stories we preserve in our museums are not just stories of the past. They are stories of service, resilience and duty that continue to be written every day by those wearing the uniform today.

As we reflect on over 500 years of naval history, we thank all who serve, have served, and support those who do.

Your service is our history. Your commitment shapes our future.

⚓ A sword awarded for courage. A story of determination.On 21 January 1807, boats from HMS Galatea pursued and captured ...
18/06/2026

⚓ A sword awarded for courage. A story of determination.

On 21 January 1807, boats from HMS Galatea pursued and captured the French corvette Lynx in a fierce action off the coast of Spain.

Leading the boarding party was Lieutenant William Coombe. Despite having lost a leg in earlier service, he continued his naval career and commanded the attack that secured the enemy vessel.

In recognition of his gallantry, Lloyd's Patriotic Fund awarded Coombe this sword, valued at £50. Such awards were presented to officers whose actions demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in battle.

Today, the sword is preserved in the Royal Navy Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Objects like this help us see beyond the battles themselves. They connect us with the people who served, the challenges they faced and the determination that shaped their lives at sea.

Discover the stories that connect Navy and Nation through the people who lived them.

https://orlo.uk/phNCA

The first person to destroy a Zeppelin in flight was just 23 years old.Flight Sub-Lieutenant Reginald "Rex" Warneford of...
17/06/2026

The first person to destroy a Zeppelin in flight was just 23 years old.

Flight Sub-Lieutenant Reginald "Rex" Warneford of the Royal Naval Air Service achieved what many thought impossible when he successfully attacked German airship LZ 37 over Belgium in June 1915.

At a time when Zeppelin raids were creating fear across Britain, Warneford's actions captured international attention. His daring attack earned him the Victoria Cross and demonstrated the growing potential of military aviation during the First World War. But his fame was short-lived.

On 17 June 1915, just ten days after his historic achievement, Warneford was killed in a flying accident near Paris after receiving the French Légion d'honneur in recognition of his actions.

Today, his story is remembered not only because of a remarkable wartime achievement, but because it reflects the courage, skill and risk that defined the earliest generation of naval aviators.

His Victoria Cross is cared for by Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation, preserving the story of a young man whose actions helped shape the history of flight.

Discover the stories that connect Navy and Nation through the people who lived them.

https://www.royalnavymuseums.org.uk/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=organic&utm_id=social

📆 ⚓ On 16 June 1987, HMS Warrior came home.Twenty-eight years after leaving Portsmouth for the final time, HMS Warrior r...
16/06/2026

📆 ⚓ On 16 June 1987, HMS Warrior came home.

Twenty-eight years after leaving Portsmouth for the final time, HMS Warrior returned to the city where her story had begun.

But her homecoming almost never happened.

By the 1970s, the ship had spent decades serving in a very different role and her condition had deteriorated significantly. In 1979, she was moved to Hartlepool, where a major restoration project began. Over the next seven years, shipwrights, engineers, conservators and craftspeople worked to return Warrior to her nineteenth-century appearance, preserving one of the most important warships in British history.

Then, on 16 June 1987, the restored ship arrived back in Portsmouth. As she entered the harbour, tugs, yachts and small craft gathered to welcome her home. Klaxons sounded across the water as thousands watched one of the Royal Navy's most iconic ships complete her final voyage.

Launched in 1860, HMS Warrior transformed naval warfare. Combining steam power, iron armour and heavy guns, she was the most powerful warship of her day and a symbol of Britain's industrial and maritime strength.

Her return was more than the arrival of a ship. It was the result of years of dedication by the people who refused to let her story be lost.

Today, visitors can walk her decks at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and discover the stories that connect Navy and Nation through the people who built, sailed, restored and preserved her.

https://www.royalnavymuseums.org.uk/our-untold-stories?utm_source=social&utm_medium=organic&utm_id=social

📷
RNM - HMS Warrior arriving in Portsmouth 16 June 1987
Hartlepool Museum Service - Arrival into the Coal Dock, 1979
Hartlepool Library Service - HMS Warrior leaving Hartlepool, 1987

15/06/2026

⚓️⚒️HMS Victory Live: The Big Repair.

Every new section tells a story.

As exterior walkways and viewing platforms take shape around HMS Victory, skilled teams continue the work of preserving one of Britain’s most iconic ships for future generations.

HMS Victory remains open throughout The Big Repair.

Step aboard, explore the ship and get closer than ever to one of the most ambitious conservation projects in the world.

🧭 History isn't on hold. It's being preserved.

https://www.royalnavymuseums.org.uk/

📆 ⚓ On 15 June 1968, HMS Resolution slipped beneath the waves on her first operational patrol.It was a voyage that would...
15/06/2026

📆 ⚓ On 15 June 1968, HMS Resolution slipped beneath the waves on her first operational patrol.

It was a voyage that would shape the Royal Navy for generations.

As the first of the Royal Navy's Polaris submarines, HMS Resolution marked the start of the UK's Continuous At Sea Deterrent. From that point onwards, at least one ballistic missile submarine would remain on patrol at all times, a commitment that has continued for more than half a century.

The story of the deterrent is often told through technology and strategy. It is also a story of people.

Life aboard a Polaris submarine meant months spent beneath the surface, separated from family and friends, operating in complete secrecy. The success of every patrol depended on the skill, professionalism and resilience of the crews who lived and worked in one of the most demanding environments in the Royal Navy.

HMS Resolution was followed by HMS Repulse, HMS Renown and HMS Revenge, together forming the Polaris fleet that served throughout the Cold War.

At Royal Navy Museums: Submarine Museum, the Silent & Secret gallery explores the history of Britain's nuclear deterrent through the experiences of those who served. Through personal accounts, objects and displays, visitors can discover what life was really like aboard the Polaris submarines and the people behind one of the Royal Navy's most enduring commitments.

Discover the stories that connect Navy and Nation through the people who lived them.

https://orlo.uk/KRQQp

📆 On 14 June 1982, the Falklands War came to an end.Seventy-four days earlier, Argentine forces had invaded the Falklan...
14/06/2026

📆 On 14 June 1982, the Falklands War came to an end.

Seventy-four days earlier, Argentine forces had invaded the Falkland Islands, prompting Britain to assemble a Task Force of Royal Navy ships, merchant vessels, Royal Marines, soldiers and aircrew to sail more than 8,000 miles to the South Atlantic.

The conflict would become one of the defining moments in modern Royal Navy history.

Among those involved was HMS Conqueror. On 2 May 1982, the submarine sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, the first time a nuclear-powered submarine had sunk an enemy warship in combat. The attack altered the course of the conflict and demonstrated the strategic impact of undersea warfare.

The war was fought across sea, land and air, and came at a heavy cost. British forces lost 255 service personnel, while 649 Argentine personnel and three Falkland Islanders lost their lives. Ships including HMS Sheffield, HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope and HMS Coventry were lost in the fighting.

On 14 June, Argentine forces surrendered in Stanley, bringing the conflict to an end.

Today, the Falklands story is told through the people who served, the decisions made under pressure and the objects they left behind.

At Royal Navy Museums: Submarine Museum, visitors can see HMS Conqueror's periscopes, her Jolly Roger and the captain's cabin. At Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation, aircraft including the famous Wessex "Humphrey" help tell the story of the aircrews who flew rescue, reconnaissance and combat missions during the conflict.

Together, they reveal different perspectives on the same story, one fought above the waves and one beneath them.

Discover the stories that connect Navy and Nation through the people who lived them.

📷 HMS Sheffield (D80) before the Falklands War damage.
📷 HMS Sheffield (D80) after the Exocet strike, 4 May 1982.
📷 Westland Wessex "Humphrey", Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation.

📆 ⚓ On 12 June 1667, the Royal Navy faced one of the greatest crises in its history.During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, a...
12/06/2026

📆 ⚓ On 12 June 1667, the Royal Navy faced one of the greatest crises in its history.

During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, a Dutch fleet sailed into the Medway, broke through England's river defences and struck at the heart of the nation's naval power. On 12 June, they captured *Royal Charles*, one of the Royal Navy's most important warships, and towed her away as a prize.

The raid exposed weaknesses in England's naval defences and sent shockwaves through the country. For those responsible for the Navy, the scale of the disaster was difficult to comprehend.

Samuel Pepys, Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board, recorded his fears in his diary that day:

> "And the truth is, I do fear so much that the whole kingdom is undone."

Yet the story did not end there.

The Raid on the Medway forced the Navy and government to confront difficult lessons about readiness, investment and defence. In the years that followed, dockyard protections were strengthened, naval administration improved and reforms helped lay the foundations for the more professional Royal Navy that would emerge in the centuries ahead.

The Raid on the Medway remains one of the most dramatic episodes in Royal Navy history. It is a reminder that history is shaped not only by victories, but also by setbacks, hard lessons and the people determined to learn from them.

Discover the stories that connect Navy and Nation through the people who lived them.

📷
By Willem van der Stoop - LSH 88974 (sm_dig3546), Public Domain
NMRN 2017_45_9: This engraving shows a bird's eye view of the attack by the Dutch Fleet in the river Medway as seen from Sheerness, Kent, 11-14 June 1667. Engraved by Bastiaan Stoopendael after Willem Schellinks 1701.

Address

HM Naval Base (PP66)
Portsmouth
PO13NH

Telephone

+442392891370

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Royal Navy Museums posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category