Remains of British naval hero's lover possibly uncovered in France

"Remains that could belong to Lady Emma Hamilton, the legendary lover of British naval hero Horatio Nelson who defeated French forces at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, went on display at a French church on Friday after a year-long investigation. It is not 100 percent certain that the remains are those of Lady Hamilton, who died in poverty in the French city of Calais in 1815 after a spell of stardom that also saw her become a muse for artists and a household name."

"The funeral urn, which now rests in an alcove in the Notre-Dame de Calais church in the city, remains on removable wooden supports, so that it can be moved in the event of any new developments. Her relationship with Nelson, with whom she had a daughter despite her marriage to an aristocratic British diplomat, caused a scandal at the time. Her life was then dogged by tragedy after the death of her lover in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar."

Remains possibly belonging to Lady Emma Hamilton were displayed in Notre-Dame de Calais after a year-long investigation and forensic analysis. The identification is not certain, but a Calais-based expert and forensic investigators consider the case strong. The funeral urn rests on removable supports in the church to allow relocation if new evidence emerges. Emma Hamilton rose to fame as a muse and for her relationship with Horatio Nelson, which produced a daughter and caused scandal. After Nelson's death at Trafalgar in 1805, Hamilton fell into ill health, alcoholism, debt, and fled to Calais, where she died in poverty in 1815.

Read at The Local France