Honouring our Heroes: telling their stories – National Museum of the Royal Navy launches appeal for final £2.5million to open the Royal Marines Experience

The Royal Marines Experience will bring to life and showcase over 360 years of Royal Marines history, from its formation in 1664 to its vital modern-day role as the United Kingdom’s commando force. Designed as a place of inspiration, remembrance and education, it will ensure that the extraordinary stories of Royal Marines are protected for future generations.

Actor and presenter, Ross Kemp, who reported from the front line in Afghanistan (2007–2012), where he was embedded with British regiments including 45 Commando Royal Marines states:

“I’ve been with Royal Marines on the ground, and you see it up close, the discipline, the humour, the calm under pressure, and the fierce loyalty to the person beside them. The Royal Marines Experience matters because it captures that truth, not as myth, but in the voices of the people who lived it. If you can support this appeal, you will help protect those stories and help sustain a Remembrance Room that will always be there for families who need a place to reflect.”

For more than three centuries, Royal Marines have served on the front line of conflicts, showing relentless dedication, resilience, and sacrifice - from the Napoleonic Wars, both World Wars, the Falklands War, Northern Ireland, to operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, global humanitarian missions, and many more that take place out of the public eye – never spoken about, never acknowledged.

Historian and TV presenter, Dan Snow MBE, who is also backing the campaign observes:

“The Royal Marines are woven through over 360 years of British history, from the age of sail to the present day. What makes their story exceptional is not just what happened, but the standard behind it, and the people who carried it. The Royal Marines Experience will safeguard that living history and share it with the public in a powerful, modern way. If you value our national story and the sacrifices of those who served, this is a story worth backing.”

Funds raised will go directly towards exhibition design and the hands-on interactives and experiences that tell the past, present and future story of the Royal Marines. A significant portion of funds raised will go towards the running and upkeep of a free-to-access Remembrance Room, where families can reflect on and remember those who gave their lives in service to their country.

Sarah Adkins, sister of the late Major General Matt Holmes, CBE, DSO notes: 

“Matt said ‘Once in the Royal Marines family, always in the Royal Marines family’. The families of Royal Marines, serving and former, are very much part of the Corps family. The Remembrance Room will provide a special space in which to remember Royal Marines no longer with us, honouring both their service and those who grieve their loss. The pride in the Green Beret and all that it stands for unites everyone in the Royal Marines family, irrespective of connection, rank, length of service, combat experience and age."

Ryan Shelley who served in Afghanistan and was awarded the George Medal in recognition for his gallantry and distinguished service, comments:

“When I found out my wife Lindsay was pregnant, the first thing I did was go to the previous museum site, because it was the only place I knew that I could get something meaningful. I bought a teddy bear with a Green Beret for Lil when she was born, and she’s still got it 17 years later. The Royal Marines Experience will be an amalgamation of history, artefacts, stories and people. It gives us an anchor to come together as a community.” The Royal Marines Experience will:

• Honour the fallen and commemorate acts of bravery
• Preserve priceless artefacts, medals, personal letters, and operational history
• Provide immersive exhibitions bringing modern Commando operations to life
• Offer a permanent home for veterans and families to reflect and reconnect

Matthew Sheldon, CEO, National Museum of the Royal Navy remarks:

“Most of us will never know what it feels like to earn and wear the green beret of the Royal Marines Commandos. So, we want our new Royal Marines Experience to bring visitors closer to the tests of their training and the reality of their deployment, using real voices and remarkable objects. However, of course the Royal Marines' history stretches back across 360 years of service, so we have created a new national home that connects this long tradition to the professionalism, courage and pride of today's Commandos. We want every visitor to leave with a deeper understanding of history, but also and especially of the challenges faced by these men and women on behalf of the nation, in a period of such change.” 

The £15m project has been supported by a £4.4million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, alongside funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation, NMRN reserves and private donations. Thanks to this grant as well as future donations, the Royal Marines Experience is set to transform the historic 1840’s Grade II* listed Boathouse 6 in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard into a dynamic national centre, celebrating the service and history of the Royal Marines.

Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fulton, former CGRM speaking on behalf of the campaign, highlights: 

“This £2.5 million target represents more than a financial goal - it represents a national commitment to our armed forces and remembrance. The Royal Marines have given extraordinary service to our nation for over three and a half centuries. The Royal Marines Experience is not just a building - it is a promise. A promise that the courage of those who served, and the memory of those who gave their lives, will never be forgotten. We now call on the nation to help us raise £2.5 million to make this vision a reality. Tell our story. Honour our legacy.”

For further information on major gifts or to discuss corporate donations, partnership or sponsorship opportunities please contact Helen McKenna-Aspell, Associate Executive Director: Funding & Partnerships on fundraising@nmrn.org.uk To donate visit nmrm.org.uk/donate