Bank of England £20 note.
HMS Temeraire was a 98-gun ship of the line of the British Navy, serving in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Built at Chatham Dockyard, Temeraire was launched in 1798 and commissioned in 1799. After years of routine duties she joined Horatio Nelson's fleet in 1805. At the Battle of Trafalgar she was just astern of Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory. During the battle Temeraire came to Victory's rescue, and fought and captured two French ships, winning public renown in Britain. She served routinely until 1813 when she was laid up. She later acted as a prison ship, a receiving ship, a victualling depot, and a guard ship. She was sold in 1838 and towed up the Thames to be broken up. Her last voyage is depicted in a J. M. W. Turner oil painting (pictured), which was greeted with critical acclaim. The painting was voted Britain's favourite painting in a 2005 BBC Radio 4 poll, and a reproduction appears on the 2020 Bank of England £20 note.
