HMS Royal George

HMS Royal George was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard and launched on 18 February 1756. The largest warship in the world at the time of launching, she saw service in the Seven Years' War including being Admiral Sir Edward Hawke's flagship at the Battle of Quiberon Bay and later taking part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent. She sank undergoing routine maintenance work whilst anchored off Portsmouth on 29 August 1782 with the loss of over 800 lives, one of the most serious maritime disasters in British history.

Design and construction

The Royal George was designed by Sir Thomas Slade, the Surveyor of the Navy from 1755 to 1771, whose designs included the HMS Victory. She was a larger and more powerful ship than her predecessor, the HMS Royal Anne, and was the first truly three-decked first-rate ship of the line to be built for the Royal Navy.

Service history

The Royal George saw service in several significant naval battles of the 18th century. She was Admiral Sir Edward Hawke's flagship at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, where the British fleet defeated a French force in a decisive victory. In 1780, she took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent, a key engagement of the American Revolutionary War.

Sinking

On 29 August 1782, while anchored off Portsmouth, the Royal George sank while undergoing routine maintenance work. The ship heeled over too far, water flooded in through her open gunports, and she quickly capsized. Over 800 people were killed, including many civilians visiting the ship at the time. The sinking was a major maritime disaster and led to improvements in operational procedures within the Royal Navy.

Legacy

The sinking of the Royal George has been commemorated in literature and song, including a popular ballad by William Cowper. The ship's bell, recovered from the wreck, is on display at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.