image details
Description:
A portrait of the 'Royal Katherine', an 84-gun ship built at Woolwich in 1664 by Christopher Pett and named for Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese-born queen of King Charles II. The ship took part in all the principal actions of the second and third Dutch Wars, 1665-74 and later fought against the French in King William's War, including at the Battles of Bantry Bay and La Hogue, 1692. She was broken up in 1698. There is a characteristic Vale cartouche, ornately decorated with seashells and coral, at the top centre of the picture. This contains the inscription, 'The Royall Katherine command[e]d by John Earl of Mulgrave in the Second Dutch Warr', which is however inaccurate since John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave, only commanded the ship during the Third Dutch War, including at the Battle of Solebay in May 1672. He later became Marquis of Normanby (1694), and Duke of Buckingham in 1703.
Artist / Maker:
H. Vale
Image:
BHC3606
Date:
1705-30
