Name: The Prince Royal of Denmark's Yacht (1785): Maritime History Mysteries
Start: 2026-03-26T17:15:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-26T19:30:00+00:00
Location: King's Building - King's College London

The Prince Royal of Denmark's Yacht (1785): Maritime History Mysteries

This talk explores a captured American privateer as the likely origin of the royal yacht, and a rediscovered 1786 painting by Thomas Mitchel
About this Event

In November 1784, the British Admiralty, acting on instructions from the Foreign Secretary, ordered the Navy Board to proceed with the design and construction of a royal yacht. This vessel was intended as a diplomatic gift from King George III (1738-1820) to his nephew, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark (1768-1839), following Frederik’s confirmation as Prince Regent in April 1784. It was to be ‘built upon an English style’ as a ‘fast sailing ship, handsomely fitted out and armed’.

The yacht was launched at Deptford in August 1785 and delivered to Copenhagen in October 1785. It remained in Danish service until the Second Battle of Copenhagen in 1807 when it was sent back to Britain in anger, serving thereafter as a naval yacht until sold in 1818. The career of the vessel has been described in a November 2024 article*. In this presentation, a captured American colonial privateer will be examined as the probable design origin of the royal yacht, and the rediscovery of a 1786 painting of the yacht by Thomas Mitchell, a Navy Board surveyor and marine artist, will be discussed.

Speakers:

Julie Papworth is an independent maritime and medical history researcher, a member of the Society for Nautical Research and several medical history societies. She studied for an MA in the History of War at King’s College, London, UK. In her professional career, she practiced as a dentist.

Roger Dence is an independent maritime history researcher and member of several maritime history societies, including the Society for Nautical Research. He studied for an MA in the History of War at King’s College, London, UK. Previously he worked in technical journalism, in high-technology fields in public relations, marketing and management roles, and as a lecturer in management education.

This event is open to the public and free to attend both in-person and online (via Zoom). In-person spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot!This event is open to the public and free to attend both in-person and online (via Zoom). In-person spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot!