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Why did Lord Nelson’s body travel to England in a cask of brandy?

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surgeon; American Civil War — embalming An embalming surgeon at work on a soldier's body during the American Civil War.

Following his death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, the body of Lord Nelson was placed in a cask of brandy to preserve it for the journey back to England.1

This method was a practical application of embalming, a practice used to protect a body from decay. Historically, various societies utilized preservatives such as vinegar, wine, and stronger spirits to "pickle" corpses when formal arterial embalming was not available or feasible for long-distance transport. By submerging the body in alcohol, the process helped stave off putrefaction, ensuring the remains could be returned for final rites.1