Overview

• National Museums Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery placed depictions of Nelson’s death in its LGBTQ+ ‘love and relationships’ collection.
• Gallery text notes historians’ speculation about the Nelson–Hardy relationship and references the tradition of “Kiss me, Hardy.”
• The paintings include Benjamin West’s The Death of Nelson (1806) and Daniel Maclise’s later scene, both tied to Nelson’s final moments aboard HMS Victory.
• The institution says the reclassification supports a program to present often overlooked LGBTQ+ histories in its collections.
• Advocacy group LGB Alliance criticized the move, pointing to Nelson’s documented relationships with Frances Nisbet and Emma Hamilton and the disputed accounts of his last words.