“In the spirit of the Convention adopted by UNESCO in 2001, I trust that all parties concerned will take the necessary measures to ensure this important vestige of British naval history is safeguarded and given appropriate attention, not used for commercial gain.”

The discovery of the wreck of the HMS Victory was announced on 2 February by the explorers who found it, off the Channel Islands where it sank during a storm in 1744. The Royal Navy vessel went down with all hands, with no survivors among the approximately 1,000 men aboard. Besides human remains, the ship is thought to contain a number of bronze cannons, historical artefacts and a sizeable shipment of gold.