Photographic print
360 x 240 mm
HMS Illustrious, then flagship of the Royal Navy, sails out of Portsmouth Harbour into the Solent, off the coast of Southsea silhouetted against the afternoon sun of early summer, 2005.
In the centre of the coastline can be seen the outline of the rollercoaster at the Clarence Pier funfair and on the right the tower of Portsmouth's historic Anglican Cathedral, St. Thomas's.
Just above the tower Spitbank Fort juts out of the water, continuing its eternal vigilance against Napoleon III's possible invasion.
Spitbank and the three other forts (also visible further out) were known as "Palmerston's Follies" after the Newport Isle of Wight Member of Parliament who as British Prime Minister had them built between 1865 and 1880 as part of a chain of defences against the French, encircling Portsmouth by sea and land.
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