English ship Prince Royal (1610) facts for kids
Prince Royal arriving at Vlissingen in Holland in 1613. Detail of a painting from 1623 by the Dutch artist Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 England |
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| Name | Prince Royal |
| Ordered | November 1607 |
| Builder | Phineas Pett I, Woolwich Dockyard |
| Laid down | 20 October 1608 |
| Launched | 25 July 1610 |
| Fate | Burnt, 3 June 1666 by the Dutch |
| Notes | |
| General characteristics as built | |
| Class and type | 55-gun royal ship |
| Tons burthen | 1200 |
| Length | 115 ft (35 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) |
| Depth of hold | 18 ft (5.5 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament | 55 guns (in 1624) of various weights of shot including 51 carriage-mounted heavy guns and 4 light port-pieces (anti-personnel weapons) |
| General characteristics after 1641 rebuild | |
| Class and type | 70-gun ship |
| Tons burthen | 1187 tons |
| Length | 115 ft (35 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) |
| Depth of hold | 18 ft (5.5 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament | 70 guns of various weights of shot, increased to 88 in 1653 (wartime) then back to 80 in 1660 (peacetime) |
| General characteristics after 1663 rebuild | |
| Class and type | 92-gun first-rate ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 1432 tons |
| Length | 132 ft (40 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 45 ft 2 in (13.77 m) |
| Depth of hold | 18 ft 10 in (5.74 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament | 92 guns of various weights of shot |
The Prince Royal was a very important warship in the English Royal Navy. It had 55 guns and was later rebuilt and renamed HMS Resolution. This ship played a big role in many naval battles.
Contents
Building the Prince Royal
The Prince Royal was built by a famous shipbuilder named Phineas Pett I. He worked at the Woolwich Dockyard in England. The ship was finished and launched in 1610.
The ship's fancy decorations were carved by Sebastian Vicars. Robert Peake and Paul Isackson then painted and gilded them. Even important people like Prince Henry visited the shipyard to see the ship being built. In 1613, Princess Elizabeth sailed on the Prince Royal from Margate to Ostend.
Ship Design and Guns
The Prince Royal was special because it was one of the first warships with three full decks for guns. When it was first built, the top deck didn't have guns in the middle part. But in 1621, the ship was updated. All three gun decks were then made continuous, meaning they ran the full length of the ship. This allowed for more guns to be placed on board.
The Ship's Service and Battles
The Prince Royal was rebuilt several times to make it stronger and carry more guns.
First Rebuild and New Name
From 1639 to 1641, the ship was rebuilt at Woolwich. It became a 70-gun ship. During a time when England was called the Commonwealth of England (a period without a king), the ship was renamed Resolution. It fought in many battles during the First Anglo-Dutch War, a series of wars between England and the Netherlands.
By 1660, the ship had 80 guns. When King Charles II returned to the throne (this was called the English Restoration), the ship got its original name back: Royal Prince.
Second Rebuild and More Guns
In 1663, the ship was rebuilt again at Woolwich Dockyard. This time, it was made even bigger by Sir Phineas Pett II, who was related to the first builder. It became a powerful 92-gun ship.
The Four Days Battle
In 1665, the Royal Prince was the main ship for Admiral Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich at the Battle of Lowestoft. This was during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
A year later, in 1666, the ship was the main ship for Vice-Admiral George Ayscue in the Four Days Battle. This was a very long and tough battle. On the third day, the Royal Prince got stuck on a sandbank called the Galloper Sand.
When Dutch fireships (ships filled with flammable materials to set enemy ships on fire) surrounded the stranded Royal Prince, the crew became scared. Admiral Ayscue had to surrender to the Dutch. The Dutch managed to get the ship off the sandbank, but it was too damaged to steer properly. To stop the English from getting their valuable ship back, the Dutch ordered the Royal Prince to be burned.
See also
- HMS Victoria, the last three-decked ship of the line commissioned by the Royal Navy.
Images for kids
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The surrender of Prince Royal at the Four Days Battle, 3 June 1666, by Willem van de Velde the Younger
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