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The Extraordinary Story of the Lost Diamond Chelengk
Admiral Lord Nelson’s diamond Chelengk is one of the most famous and iconic jewels in British history.
Presented to Nelson by Sultan Selim III of Turkey after the Battle of the Nile in 1798, the jewel had thirteen diamond rays to represent the French ships captured or destroyed at the action. Nelson wore the Chelengk on his hat like a turban jewel; it became his trademark to be endlessly copied in portraits and busts to this day.
After Trafalgar, the Chelengk was inherited by Nelson’s family. It was sold at auction in 1895 before ending up at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich where it was a star exhibit. In 1951 the jewel was stolen by an infamous cat-burglar and lost forever.
Martyn Downer tells the extraordinary true story of the Chelengk, charting the jewel’s journey through history and forging sparkling new and intimate portraits of Nelson, of his friends and rivals, and of the woman he loved.
‘A part of history recreated in all its glory.’
Daily Telegraph,
8th January, 2018 in Biography & Memoir, History, Maritime
The funeral of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson on 9 January 1806 was a vast spectacle, at the time probably the largest public event in London’s long history. Advertisements appeared for days beforehand promoting the best vantage points for the procession to St Paul’s Cathedral, newspap…
10th January, 2017 in Maritime
There have been many celebrated warships in Britain’s naval history but HMS Victory can justifiably claim to be one of the most famous of them all, having served as Vice Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar. The death of Nelson on board Victory du…
13th October, 2016 in Maritime
The season of formal Trafalgar Night dinners, celebrated by navies throughout the Commonwealth, starts on Trafalgar Day, October 21, and ends in early November with Pickle Night, which celebrates the arrival in London of Lieutenant John Lapenotiere on HMS Pickle, carryi…
