Emma Hamilton led a life that mirrored the turbulence of her times, rising from humble beginnings to the courts of Europe, only to become forever linked to one of history’s most famous love affairs. In 1799, she began a relationship with Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, Britain’s greatest naval hero, a bond that endured until his death at Trafalgar in 1805.
Their romance scandalized polite society: both were married, yet their passion was impossible to hide. Nelson was the man who secured Britain’s future against Napoleon, a symbol of national pride. That such a figure risked reputation and duty for an affair made their story a collision of politics and forbidden love that still captures imaginations today.
But who was Emma Hamilton beyond the scandal? Click through this gallery to find out.