Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was marking the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar Friday aboard the warship that led the Royal Navy to victory against the French and Spanish fleets, Associated Press reported. Bells tolled aboard British warships around the world and wreaths were laid at the site of the decisive battle, which helped ensure a century of British naval supremacy. While the events are officially a commemoration, not a celebration, many in Britain were enjoying reliving a moment of martial triumph _ when, under Adm. Horatio Nelson, Britannia ruled the waves. "Trafalgar was vitally important for this country. Otherwise we would all be speaking French now," said Christina O'Farrell, 61, a retiree from this town on England's south coast, still the home port of the Royal Navy. The victory by an outnumbered British fleet on Oct. 21, 1805 lifted the threat of invasion by the armies of Napoleon _ who ruled both France and Spain _ and helped ensure Britain would be the world's dominant naval power for more than a century. It also cemented Nelson's reputation as the country's greatest naval hero. --more 2157 Local Time 1857 GMT
