Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 was marked by many events but none was so spectacular as the grand Review of the Fleet held at Spithead on 26 June. Even allowing for the numerous vessels which remained on station throughout the Empire, this was still the greatest demonstation of naval power the world had ever seen and a worthy tribute to the Queen's 'Sixty Glorious Years'. Dressed overall for the occasion, the Fleet was inspected by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) on his mother's behalf from aboard the yacht Victoria & Albert (II) as she cruised up and down the seemingly endless lines of ships.

In addition to the many royal and distinguished guests invited to the Review, a number of commercial vessels were chartered to provide transport for the ordinary visitors who flocked to see the spectacle. One such ship, as depicted here, was the Union Castle Line's steamer Arundel Castle, 4588 tons, built by Fairfield's of Glasgow in 1895. Measuring 415 feet in length, with a 46 foot beam, she could steam at 12½ knots and had ample comfortable accommodation. Sold out of Union Castle ownership in 1905, she became involved in the emigrant traffic to the United States and was one of the ships which picked up the Titantic's distress calls in April 1912. Surviving the Great War and several other changes of both ownership and nationality, Arundel Castle - by then named Wilbo - was broken up in Italy in 1924.