A Bequest to the Nation

About the show

A Bequest to the Nation is a 1970 play by Terence Rattigan, based on his 1966 television play Nelson (full title – Nelson – A Portrait in Miniature). It recounts the events surrounding Horatio Nelson, his mistress Emma Hamilton, and his wife Frances Nisbet in the events immediately before, during and after the Battle of Trafalgar. It also includes various other historical characters such as Thomas Hardy and William Nelson. The title refers to Nelson leaving Emma and their child Horatia to the nation on his death.