Kings Maritime History Seminars 2026-27

The King’s Seminars are an annual set of lectures organised by the BCMH, which run from October to May. They are open to the public and are normally held at King’s College London (and broadcast live via Zoom). The Kings Seminars are a range of lectures by invited speakers. There are usually two each month during term time.

The series is organised by Dr Alan James, and are supported by the Society for Nautical Research and the ‘Laughton Naval History Unit’ and ‘Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War’ at the Department of War Studies, King's College London. 

Upcoming events

Shipping on the Road to Net Zero. Lessons from Maritime History 

Stig Tenold, NHH Norwegian School of Economics

 

Prize Money in Nelson’s Navy

Grahame Aldous KC, Inns of Court College of Advocacy

 

The Naval War in the Baltic, 1914-1915

Mark Harris, Independent Researcher

 

More than Venice's Successor: Rethinking the Austrian Navy in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries

Jiayi Liu, King’s College London

 

The Improbable Austro-Japanese War

Ian Stafford, Independent Researcher

 

The Proctor Memorial Lecture *to be held at Lloyds Register.  See below for special registration details

 

‘Overawed and Controlled’ ? London’s Maritime Workforce in the 19th Century

 

Sarah Palmer, University of Greenwich

 

 

Littoral History: the functions and effectiveness of Yorkshire coast havens, harbours and refuges

 

Robb Robinson, University of Hull 

 

‘Beyond the Deck’: Shore Suits and Subcultural Identity in Hull’s Fishing Community

Claire Day, Coventry University London

 

TBC

 

Roy Fenton 

 

The Improbable Life of Sir Home Popham (TBC)

 

Jacqueline Reiter, Independent Scholar

 

The Design, Construction, Use, and Conversion of T2-SE-A1 Tankers 

 

Peter Hames, SUNY Maritime College

 

The Battle of Trafalgar, Monday 21 October 1805 - Interpretations Through Art

 

Michael E. Leek, Arts University Bournemouth  

 

Hospital Ships of the Royal Navy in World War One (TBC)

 

Edward Wawrzynczak and Jane Wickenden, 

 

Julian Corbett and the British Way of War: Exploring the Principles for a European Naval Strategy

 

Friso Stevens, University of Oxford / The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

 

 

 

The King’s Maritime History Seminars for 2026-27 may be attended in person or online. As always, attendance is free and open to all. To take part, you must register in advance by visiting the KCL School of Security Studies Events page, here: www.kcl.ac.uk/security-studies/events *

   

Online attendees will receive instructions shortly before the event, by email, about how to join. Otherwise, we will meet in person, as usual, in the Dockrill Room, KIN 628, at King’s College London. Papers will begin at 17:15 GMT.  

 

*Note, however, that the Proctor Lecture on the 3rd of December 2026 will be held at Lloyd’s Register, and registration is to be done via the BCMH website Lectures & Events : British Commission for Maritime History.

 

The King’s Maritime History Seminar is hosted by the ‘Laughton Naval Unit’ and the ‘Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War’ in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London.  It is organised by the British Commission for Maritime History (www.maritimehistory.org.uk) in association with the Society for Nautical Research (https://snr.org.uk/).  For further information contact Dr Alan James, War Studies, KCL, WC2R 2LS (alan.2.james@kcl.ac.uk).