Follower of the Willem van de Veldes

(Dutch, 1611-1693 and 1633-1707)

The 'Royal Prince' dismasted during the Battle of Texel (1673) against the Dutch Fleet off the coast of Zeeland 25.4 x 30.5cm. (10 x 12in.)

Footnotes

Literature:
M.S. Robinson, The Paintings of the Willem van de Veldes, National Maritime Museum, 1990, no.422, pp 203-204.

Provenance:
Christies, 29th. March 1963, no. 91.
Spink and Sons, 1976.


The Battle of Texel was not only the last encounter of the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-74), but it also signalled the end of Louis XIV’s grandiose attempts to defeat the Dutch at sea and thereafter land troops on the coast of Holland to support a full-scale invasion. The two previous Anglo-Dutch Wars of 1652-54 and 1665-67 had ended in stalemate, with both sides anxious to resume hostilities in the hope of a decisive outcome, whereas the third conflict saw England allied with France in an attempt to ensure victory. Despite numerical superiority, the combined Anglo-French fleets found the Dutch a worthy adversary and two fierce though inconclusive actions had already been fought in the Schooneveld, off the Scheldt estuary, during the early summer of 1673. When, in late July, Prince Rupert’s allied fleet of ninety-two ships returned to the Dutch coast, the smaller Dutch fleet – under de Ruyter – put to sea and, after delays caused by bad weather, engaged the allies off the island of Texel on 11th August.

Despite having fewer ships, de Ruyter mounted a furious attack after first delegating his van – under Adriaen Banckert – to contain the entire French squadron in advance of the English arrival on the scene. This completed, de Ruyter turned his attention to Prince Rupert’s centre and rear divisions, the latter under the command of Sir Edward Spragge. Within a very short time, a tremendous duel developed between Spragge’s squadron and the Dutch counterpart under Cornelius Tromp. Indeed, the struggle soon became so intense that each commander was compelled to shift his flag three times and Spragge’s original flagship, ‘Royal Prince’, was so damaged by the loss of two of her masts that she became not only completely unmanageable but also nearly foundered such were her wounds. Spragge himself was subsequently drowned when the boat in which he was transferring to a new flagship received a direct hit and was sunk. As daylight began to fade, the two opposing fleets finally disengaged and stood out to sea; each side was exhausted and although no ships were actually lost, there were heavy casualties on both sides. Even though neither side could claim a victory, in reality the spoils belonged to de Ruyter as his tactical skills had undoubtedly saved Holland from invasion and inevitable invasion by France.

The flagship portrayed in this work has a name which has confused historians for generations and the many different sources which are available cannot agree whether she was named ‘Royal Prince’, ‘Prince Royal’ or simply ‘Prince’.