THE hero of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson, has been celebrated at the Milford Haven hotel which bears his name, with the ‘return’ of a famous portrait of the admiral.

At an event on September 5, hosted by Mayor of Milford Haven Terry Davies, the Lord Nelson Hotel, owned and operated by Brains, was presented with a replica of the original Admiral Lord Nelson portrait that hung in the hotel from 1802 to the 1840s.

A book written and illustrated by John T Morgan, a previous mayor of the town, depicting the story of Milford Haven was printed and distributed at the event by the Port of Milford Haven.

The event was attended by over 30 people, including the CEO of Brains, Alistair Darby.

Art historian Martyn Downer made the connection between the original portrait and the hotel.

Through his work with the Nelson Society, he procured the replica and arranged for its presentation to the hotel.

In presenting the painting, Martyn outlined Nelson’s well-recorded 1802 publicity tour of South Wales, accompanied by his mistress Emma Hamilton and her husband.

Commander Tim Ash, director of partnerships at the National Museum of the Royal Navy said: “I continue to be amazed at the fascination of people with Nelson and I am proud to have been involved in this project.”

Clare Stowell, director of tourism at the Port of Milford Haven, said: “Not only does this demonstrate the power of collaboration, but it is indicative of the enthusiasm that there is in Milford Haven to tell our stories and share our unique history.

“By embracing this we will encourage people to choose Milford Haven as a place to visit when exploring Pembrokeshire.”

Cerys Radclifffe, manager of the Lord Nelson Hotel added: “We are so grateful to be installing this portrait. Having a strong sense of place as a result of our unique history makes great business sense.

“We have already taken a conference booking for 2020 as a direct result of this event, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Milford Haven.”

Cllr Davies said: “There is a high importance for the painting coming back, I think as Nelson presented the painting to The Nelson to encourage people to come to Milford to stay and then travel to America. 118 years later we had a reception to encourage visitors to come to Milford also and view the painting in its original setting.”