The flagship Royal Sovereign saluting at the Nore

Designed by Surveyor Harding, the second Royal Sovereign to serve in the fleet was a majestic three-decker measured at 1,883 tons, with a length of 174 feet, a 50 foot beam and an armament of 102 guns. In terms of sheer firepower, she was a worthy successor to her earlier namesake although the grandeur and lavishness of her external carvings and decoration were also just as spectacular. Launched on 25<sup>t<\sup>h<\sup> May 1701 and commissioned for sea under Captain John Fletcher, her first operational rôle was as flagship to Sir George Rooke when the War of the Spanish Succession began in 1702.

The present work is derived from one of the Van de Velde portraits of this great ship which inspired a number of artists.</sup>