OH, BRITANNIA

What would Admiral Horatio Nelson have said?

His arch-enemy Napoleon will soon set foot on Nelson’s beloved flagship, HMS Victory, which carried Nelson to triumph over Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. And it’s one of the settings for “Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story,” ABC’s six-hour miniseries starring Armand Assante and Jacqueline Bisset.

Now shooting in Paris, the cast and crew will journey to Portsmouth, England, next month to film scenes on the Victory (which is permanently on display there). The key shipboard scene will feature Nelson. “But while we’re there,” explained executive producer David Wolper, “we have to pick up another scene with Napoleon on a ship.” Voila! The Victory will be transformed into a French warship.

But won’t the English consider this a desecration?

Chortled Wolper: “They won the war. They can afford to be magnanimous about it.”