. English: A Royal Visit to the Fleet in the Thames Estuary, 1672 (Updated, February 2016) During the summer of 1672 Charles II visited ships of the fleet that were refitting in the Thames following the Battle of Solebay in May of that year. This may record a visit that took place on 6 June (OS, though a visit of 10 September has also been suggested) when the king was on board the yacht 'Cleveland'. While the yacht in the left foreground has previously been identified as the ‘Anne’, the stern carving and window arrangements more convincingly suggest it is the ‘Katherine’ of 1661, used on this
. English: A Royal Visit to the Fleet in the Thames Estuary, 1672 (Updated, February 2016) During the summer of 1672 Charles II visited ships of the fleet that were refitting in the Thames following the Battle of Solebay in May of that year. This may record a visit that took place on 6 June (OS, though a visit of 10 September has also been suggested) when the king was on board the yacht 'Cleveland'. While the yacht in the left foreground has previously been identified as the ‘Anne’, the stern carving and window arrangements more convincingly suggest it is the ‘Katherine’ of 1661, used on this occasion by his brother James, Duke of York. She flies the red ensign and the stern carvings show the figure of a woman holding a crown in her right hand, together with putti holding a garland above her head. In port-broadside view and further away on the starboard bow is the 'Cleveland' with her mainsail hauled up and a man aloft hauling down the royal standard. This indicates that King Charles has transferred from the 'Cleveland' to hold a council-of-war on board the 'Prince', on the right, the principal ship in the painting. This is viewed in port-broadside and stern view, at anchor with a number of other craft around her. These include French boats, France being allied with England in the Third Dutch War of 1672-74. The painting is a busy scene of yachts and boats moving towards the 'Prince' in response to the signal of a royal standard in the mizzen shrouds calling a council-of-war of all flag officers. The 'Prince' also flies the royal standard at the main, the Admiralty flag at the fore and the Union flag at the mizzen. There are tricolour 'common' pendants at each masthead below the flags and pendants at the main and main-topsail yardarms. A yacht passing under the 'Prince's' stern is thought to be the 'Kitchen'. In the centre distance is the 'London', 96 guns, with the new admiral of the blue squadron, Sir Edward Spragge, who had replaced the Earl of Sandwich,
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Photo credit: © The Picture Art Collection / Alamy / Afripics
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