A Union Jack that flew during the Battle of Trafalgar has been hit with an export ban in a bid to stop it leaving the country.
The hand-stitched woollen flag - one of just three to survive the famous victory - is valued at £450,000.
It flew from the Royal Sovereign - the vessel that led Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's fleet into battle against French and Spanish forces in 1805.
The flag still bears marks from the conflict, including burns and splinter damage.
Officials have imposed the temporary restriction while efforts are made to find a British buyer.
Pippa Shirley, a member of the export committee which recommended the export bar, said: "This flag, which flew high above the fleets as they clashed on that momentous day, is one of only three to survive.
"It transports us to the heart of events as a physical witness, battle-scarred but astonishingly intact, to Nelson's tactical genius and the chaos, ferocity and drama of close combat at sea.
"It was also the first time that Nelson ordered all ships to fly a Union Jack so that the British fleet could tell friend from foe in the smoke and noise of the battle.
PICTURED: The Union Jack which flew from the vessel that led Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's fleet into battle
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"The flag's evocative connection to our national life and the establishment of the long period of British naval dominance runs so deep that its departure would be a great loss."
Culture Minister Baroness Twycross said: "Few symbols in our country are as evocative as the Union Flag, and this flag in particular is an extraordinary representation of Britain's history and national identity.
"This flag was made by ordinary Britons and now epitomises a defining moment in our national history. I hope this profoundly important historical artefact can remain in Britain for the public to enjoy."
The flag was originally kept by Charles Antram, who served as a master's mate aboard Royal Sovereign.
READ MORE ON LORD NELSON:
HMS Royal Sovereign rakes the stern of the Spanish flagship Santa Ana at the Battle of Trafalgar
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It remained with his descendants until 2004, when it was sold at Christie's to a private collector.
But it will be open to bidders at an online auction with Charles Miller entitled Horatio Nelson: Death & Funeral.
The auction is set to be the largest relating to the great admiral since the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005.
Britain's victory thwarted Napoleon's ambitions to seize the English Channel and invade.
The triumph established British naval dominance for the remainder of the 19th century.
Lord Nelson died at the Battle of Trafalgar - but is regarded by some as history's finest naval commander
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It flew from HMS Royal Sovereign, the flagship of Vice-Admiral Collingwood.
Royal Sovereign was the first ship to enter the fray, leading one of two columns in Nelson's attack formation.
The vessel engaged and disabled the larger Spanish flagship during the battle.
Trafalgar marked the first occasion when Nelson commanded all British ships to display Union Jacks.
This allowed crews to distinguish allied vessels from enemy ships amid the smoke and confusion of combat.
Nelson died during the engagement, but is regarded by some as history's finest naval commander.
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