Charles Hare's Great Escape

This is the story of Charles Hare and his audacious escape from a fortress in France, after six years as a prisoner of war. 

Hare was a midshipman in the Royal Navy who had been captured by the French in 1803 at the age of just 13.

He escaped by impersonating an officer in the Douanes, the French customs service. Remarkably, the uniform that he wore as a disguise survives and has recently entered the collection of Royal Museums Greenwich, along with a copy of Hare’s autobiographical account of his adventures, made by his son, George, in 1832.

Having undergone extensive conservation, the uniform is on display in the National Maritime Museum’s ‘Nelson, Navy, Nation’ gallery. 

In this exclusive talk for Members, curator Dr Katherine Gazzard will tell the deeply personal and unique story of Hare, tracking his dangerous journey across Europe. 

Using detailed photography and a range of complementary objects, she will examine the materials and insignia of the uniform, and trace the history of the Douanes from their foundation in the French Revolution to their role as an imperial directorate under Napoleon. 

Meet the speaker

Dr Katherine Gazzard is Curator of Art (Post-1800) at Royal Museums Greenwich. She is the author of The Art of Naval Portraiture (2024, Royal Museums Greenwich) and has taught courses on art history and museum studies for the University of East Anglia and Yale University. Her research focuses on eighteenth-century British art and the cultural history of the Royal Navy.