HMY Royal Caroline (1749)
Encyclopedia
HMY Royal Caroline was a ship-rigged
royal yacht
. She was ordered in 1749 to replace HMY Carolina as Britain's principal royal yacht. She was built at Deptford Dockyard under the supervision of Master Shipwright John Hollond to a design by Surveyor of the Navy
Joseph Allin. She was launched on 29 January 1750.
of Admiral of the Fleet
Lord Anson
, with Captain Peter Denis
as his flag-captain. Anson had orders to convey Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
from Cuxhaven, Kiel
to marry George III. Accompanying the yacht, renamed HMY Royal Charlotte in honour of the occasion, was a squadron of warships and four other royal yachts, HMY Mary, Katherine, Augusta and Fubbs
. During the return voyage the squadron was three times blown over to the Norwegian coast by westerly gales and took ten days to reach Harwich
, which it did on 6 September 1761.
Royal Charlotte was commissioned under Peter Denis in December 1763, and remained under his command until 1770. Denis was succeeded by Captain John Campbell that year, and Campbell remained in command until his promotion to rear-admiral
in 1777. Royal Charlotte was recommissioned under Captain William Cornwallis
in March 1783, and he was succeeded in turn by Captain Sir Hyde Parker in 1788. The yacht was briefly recommissioned in December 1792, but was paid off the following year.
and Napoleonic Wars
, with King George III making frequent trips in his yachts to welcome returning fleets and to conduct fleet reviews. The King embarked on Royal Charlotte in 1797 to visit the fleet at the Nore
after the Battle of Camperdown
, in order to honour Admiral Adam Duncan. Contrary winds however prevented the ship from reaching the mouth of the Thames, and instead the King was blown back up river to Greenwich
. Royal Charlotte recommissioned again in May 1801 under Captain Sir Harry Neale
, though by February 1804 Captain George Grey was in command. Grey was succeeded later in 1804 by Captain George Towry, and he in turn in 1805 by Captain Edward Foote
. By this time Royal Charlotte had been succeeded as the principal royal yacht by the introduction of the slightly larger HMY Royal Sovereign in 1804. Captain Foote commanded the yacht until 1812, when Captain Thomas Eyles
took over command, and in June 1814 Captain George Scott became her commander.
Royal Charlotte continued in service until July 1820, when she was finally broken up after seventy years of service.
Full rigged ship
A full rigged ship or fully rigged ship is a sailing vessel with three or more masts, all of them square rigged. A full rigged ship is said to have a ship rig....
royal yacht
Royal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
. She was ordered in 1749 to replace HMY Carolina as Britain's principal royal yacht. She was built at Deptford Dockyard under the supervision of Master Shipwright John Hollond to a design by Surveyor of the Navy
Surveyor of the Navy
The Surveyor to the Navy was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy. He was a member of the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 1546, and held overall responsibility for the design of British warships, although until 1745 the actual design work for warships built at each Royal Dockyard...
Joseph Allin. She was launched on 29 January 1750.
Service
She was first commissioned under Captain Sir Charles Molloy, who commanded her until 1753. Captain Sir Piercy Brett took over in 1754, and in August 1761 she became the flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
Lord Anson
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
, with Captain Peter Denis
Sir Peter Denis, 1st Baronet
Admiral Sir Peter Denis, 1st Baronet was an English naval officer and Member of Parliament.-Life:The son of a Huguenot refugee, Denis joined the navy as a young man and was a midshipman in HMS Centurion under the command of Commodore George Anson at the start of his famous circumnavigation . He...
as his flag-captain. Anson had orders to convey Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...
from Cuxhaven, Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
to marry George III. Accompanying the yacht, renamed HMY Royal Charlotte in honour of the occasion, was a squadron of warships and four other royal yachts, HMY Mary, Katherine, Augusta and Fubbs
HMY Fubbs
HMY Fubbs was a Royal Yacht of the Royal Navy of Great Britain. She was scrapped towards the end of the eighteenth century after having been in service for 99 years....
. During the return voyage the squadron was three times blown over to the Norwegian coast by westerly gales and took ten days to reach Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
, which it did on 6 September 1761.
Royal Charlotte was commissioned under Peter Denis in December 1763, and remained under his command until 1770. Denis was succeeded by Captain John Campbell that year, and Campbell remained in command until his promotion to rear-admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
in 1777. Royal Charlotte was recommissioned under Captain William Cornwallis
William Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
in March 1783, and he was succeeded in turn by Captain Sir Hyde Parker in 1788. The yacht was briefly recommissioned in December 1792, but was paid off the following year.
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
She continued to be used for official occasions during the French RevolutionaryFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, with King George III making frequent trips in his yachts to welcome returning fleets and to conduct fleet reviews. The King embarked on Royal Charlotte in 1797 to visit the fleet at the Nore
Nore
The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England. It marks the point where the River Thames meets the North Sea, roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point in Kent....
after the Battle of Camperdown
Battle of Camperdown
The Battle of Camperdown was a major naval action fought on 11 October 1797 between a Royal Navy fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Dutch Navy fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter...
, in order to honour Admiral Adam Duncan. Contrary winds however prevented the ship from reaching the mouth of the Thames, and instead the King was blown back up river to Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. Royal Charlotte recommissioned again in May 1801 under Captain Sir Harry Neale
Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, 2nd Baronet
Admiral Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, 2nd Baronet GCB, GCMG, born Harry Burrard, was a British officer of the Royal Navy, and Member of Parliament for Lymington....
, though by February 1804 Captain George Grey was in command. Grey was succeeded later in 1804 by Captain George Towry, and he in turn in 1805 by Captain Edward Foote
Edward Foote
Vice-Admiral Sir Edward James Foote, KCB was a prominent Royal Navy officer during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He served on a number of ships and at several actions, but is best known for becoming caught up in the aftermath of the collapse of the Parthenopean Republic at...
. By this time Royal Charlotte had been succeeded as the principal royal yacht by the introduction of the slightly larger HMY Royal Sovereign in 1804. Captain Foote commanded the yacht until 1812, when Captain Thomas Eyles
Thomas Eyles
Thomas Eyles was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.Little has been recorded about Eyles' early life, but he served for much of his time in the navy under the patronage of Sir John Borlase Warren, a prominent naval commander, who arranged...
took over command, and in June 1814 Captain George Scott became her commander.
Royal Charlotte continued in service until July 1820, when she was finally broken up after seventy years of service.