HMS 'Britannia' sailing from the Hamoaze to Plymouth Sound, with the Duke of Clarence on board as Lord High Admiral, 27 July 1828 RMG L2520

HMS 'Britannia' sailing from the Hamoaze to Plymouth Sound, with the Duke of Clarence on board as Lord High Admiral, 27 July 1828
This shows the 'Britannia' of 120 guns moving down from Devonport to Plymouth Sound on 27 July 1828, flying the Hanoverian royal standard at the main signifying the presence on board of George IV's brother Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence and (from April 1827) Lord High Admiral. The Union flag with a white border at the fore indicates she is sailing under a pilot. The 'Ipswich Journal' of 2 August gives one of several reports: 'Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Clarence arrived today [27 July, at Plymouth] ... The road from the bridge to [Admiral the Earl of Northesk's house, Mount Wise, Devonport] was lined with troops on each side.... The Duke received his royal consort at the steps...and after partaking of a slight repast with the Earl of Northesk, the royal couple proceeded on board the 'Britannia', 120 [guns], which at a quarter before five, (the Royal Standard flying at the main), was unmoored and proceeded majestically down the harbour to take her station in the Sound, there to await the arrival of the 'Prince Regent' from Chatham, when they will proceed together with the 'Pearl', 'Orestes', and 'Pylades', corvettes, on an experimental cruise, accompanied by the Lord High Admiral, who goes in the 'Royal Sovereign' yacht.' It was in fact the first time the 'Britannia', a new ship, had been to sea on what was a pre-planned trials exercise with other vessels. The Duke of Clarence had been previously at Dartmouth and Torbay, and decided to sail with it in his capacity as Lord High Admiral, ostensibly to inspect the sailing qualities of the ships involved. This caused consternation to the Government, which had deliberately constrained his powers to what they conceived a largely honorific revival of the post for him, shortly after he became heir presumptive to the throne on the death of his immediately older brother, the Duke of York. Though Clarence and the Duchess (Princess Adelaide) returned ashore by barge on the evening of the 27th to dine and stay at Mount Edgcumbe, on 31 July he sailed with the squadron and, in effect, became unaccountable for ten days. His action was seen as a direct constitutional challenge for which, on return, George IV was required to admonish him and for which the Duke of Wellington, as Prime Minister, forced his immediate resignation as Lord High Admiral. Until it was conferred on HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 2011, Clarence was the only royal holder of the post after the death Prince George, husband of Queen Anne, (d. 1708, who from 1707 had been very briefly succeeded by the Earl of Pembroke), though he reassumed it ex-officio as sovereign when he succeeded to the throne as William IV in 1830. Having been a professional naval officer in his youth (including under his friend Captain Horatio Nelson) he became known as the 'sailor king' and was always interested in naval matters. He always liked meeting seafaring men on easy terms and, as king (1830-37), one of his pleasures was regular visits to Greenwich Hospital under the Governerships of his old friend Sir Richard Keats (to 1834) and then Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy. On the far right sailors man the boom of a naval cutter in salute, while other small naval vessels fire salutes to the left. The painting is signed 'T.L. Hornbrook' lower right. There are two lithographs relating to this picture, PAF7950 of the ship leaving the Hamoaze [TBC if based on this oil] and PAF7948 of her return. [PvdM 12/09]

HMS 'Britannia' sailing from the Hamoaze to Plymouth Sound... - Painting during treatment Feb 2010