. English: 'The Mary', Yacht, Arriving with Princess Mary at Gravesend in a Fresh Breeze, 12 February 1689 After Prince William of Orange landed in Torbay in November 1688, during the 'Glorious Revolution' which deposed his father-in-law, the Catholic King James II, James fled the country. Within three months William was sufficiently established in England for his wife, James's daughter Princess Mary, to come over from Briel to join him. Landing at Gravesend, she then travelled by coach to Greenwich to be received by her sister Anne and brother-in-law Prince George of Denmark. The painting sh
. English: 'The Mary', Yacht, Arriving with Princess Mary at Gravesend in a Fresh Breeze, 12 February 1689 After Prince William of Orange landed in Torbay in November 1688, during the 'Glorious Revolution' which deposed his father-in-law, the Catholic King James II, James fled the country. Within three months William was sufficiently established in England for his wife, James's daughter Princess Mary, to come over from Briel to join him. Landing at Gravesend, she then travelled by coach to Greenwich to be received by her sister Anne and brother-in-law Prince George of Denmark. The painting shows the scene viewed from the middle of Gravesend Reach looking upstream to the west and to Northfleet. The tower of Gravesend church is visible in the extreme left background with Tilbury in the distance. On the left there are two Dutch smack-rigged flutes, anchored lashed together, which were used as transports. Beyond them and to the right an English yacht at anchor is saluting with the masts of other Dutch transports visible beyond. Closer another royal yacht, in port-bow view, is coming up into the wind and preparing to drop anchor. Around her and in the foreground are a number of wherries and three official barges rowing up-stream after the 'Mary', yacht, with the princess aboard, which is just about to anchor and is taking in her sails. She is seen starboard-broadside view and, importantly, Princess Mary is shown in the stern, thus forming the central point of the painting. The yacht proclaims her significance with the red ensign at the stern and the Union jack flying on her bowsprit. At her masthead is the white standard of the 1688 revolution, on which is inscribed 'For the Protestant Religion and the Liberty of England'. Beyond the 'Mary' to the right and beneath her bowsprit are small boats, one under sail, with two rowing boats nearer the viewer pulling downstream. The crowded shipping includes three other English Royal yachts and over a dozen Dutch vessels of which
Size: 3150px × 1586px
Photo credit: © The Picture Art Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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