THE ROYAL SOVEREIGN by John Thomas Serres,1809
A royal yacht is shown hove-to off a harbour believed to be Weymouth, with King George III and members of his family on board. It is flying the Royal Standard and the Union flag together with the fouled anchor, thus signifying the presence of the sovereign on board. In the distance on the left, the chalk cliffs of Dorset are clearly recognizable. It is not clear which royal visit the painting marks but Weymouth was a favourite watering place for George III. He first visited in July 1789 hoping that sea bathing would improve his health, again in July 1801, and his last visit was believed to be in 1805. The King can be seen on board the yacht raising his hat towards the shore, and other members of his family are also standing on the deck. This painting may have been a commission from the King and is signed and dated 1809.
coast from Brighton to Plymouth in Royal George. However, so taken with the Solent’s beauty was the Prince that he rented a cottage on the beach at Cowes and did not venture any further west. Following his ascension to the throne in 1820, George IV approved the club’s petition to be known as the Royal Yacht Club, thus becoming the first such organisation in the country to be granted the honour of a Royal prefix. In August 1821, George IV returned to Cowes in Royal George and was accompanied by HM Yacht Royal Sovereign, which had been built for his father in 1804, along with two frigates, three brigs of war, three sloops and the private yachts Pearl, Louisa and Falcon. When the squadron sailed past Cowes it received a royal salute from the castle, which became the RYS’s home in 1858, and continued to head towards the Needles before sailing back to anchor off the royal cottage. As the Squadron prepared to anchor, the men of each escorting warship manned the rigging while passing the Royal Yacht. The King acknowledged their loud
Above: Harbour Club House, Royal Yacht Squadron, Queen’s Cup, 1843
CLASSIC BOAT MARCH 2012 51
NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, GREENWICH. LONDON
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