The yacht 'Royal Sovereign' with the Duchess of Clarence on board, leaving Portsmouth to view...

Creator: Henry Moses This painting was formerly (to July 2014) titled 'HMY 'Royal Sovereign" and the experimental squadron leaving to inspect the Russian squadron'. However, it is either the original for, or more probably an oil replication of, a plate (see PAD8010) in Moses' series entitled 'Visit of William the Fourth when Duke of Clarence, as Lord High Admiral, to Portsmouth In the year 1827, with Views of the Russian Squadron'. In that set it is simply captioned 'The Yacht ['Royal Sovereign'] sailing from Portsmouth with Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Clarence on board to view the Russian Squadron, Augt. 8th 1827'. The print itself is dated 1830 and the series bears dates up to 1837, although the subjects are all during the Duke's visit to Portsmouth in late July and early August 1827: it was also only apparently published as a set later, since its engraved title plate is dated 1840. One of the other plates shows HMS 'Columbine' of the Experimental Squadron returning to Portsmouth, but it is the only example which expressly mentions this. The Duke visited a number of ships at Portsmouth (as shown in other plates) apart from the Russian Squadron, which arrived while he was there, and the present image relates solely to that aspect of the occasion. The yacht is heading out of Portsmouth Harbour with the Royal Standard at the main, signifying the presence of the Duchess on board. The painting was acquired in 1940 with BHC3611, which shows another episode also replicated in the Moses prints, though they are not strictly a pair since this one is slightly shorter, but of the same width.