12. Lloyd’s of London became the basis of a feature film in the 1930s
In 1936 a new Hollywood studio, 20th Century Fox, presented a film which featured an actor who became a new box office star, Tyrone Power. The film centered upon Power’s character and his career in the maritime insurance business during the Napoleonic Wars. The film was entitled Lloyd’s of London. As with most Hollywood renderings of history, it played fast and loose with historical facts and characters, substituting fictional drama for actual events, and changing the timeline of history to present its story. The young adventurer portrayed by Power and Lloyd’s of London, in the film at least, acted in a manner which allowed Horatio Nelson to win the Battle of Trafalgar.
Lord Nelson did have a lengthy relationship with Lloyd’s which continues to this day, though maybe it would be better said the other way around. Lloyd’s created the Patriotic Fund following his victory at the Battle of the Nile, and voted awards to him after subsequent victories, in the form of silver services, plates, and other honors. Many are on display at Lloyd’s today, in a hall set aside to honor Nelson’s memory. In truth Lloyd’s prospered mightily during the Napoleonic Wars – maritime insurance premiums were high – while the Royal Navy strengthened its grip as master of the seas. Nelson’s victories and those of his counterparts helped strengthen Lloyd’s, the opposite of what the 1936 film depicts.