HMY Royal Caroline (1749)

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HMY Royal Caroline by John Cleveley the Elder, showing the ship in full sail and flying the red and blue ensigns and the common pennant.

HMY Royal Caroline was built by Joshua Allin at Deptford as a sixth rate ship of the Royal Navy, but during construction was adapted to replace HMY Carolina as Britain's principal royal yacht. She was launched in 1749 and 12 years later renamed HMY Royal Charlotte and refitted to bring back Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from Cuxhaven, Kiel to marry George III. She was accompanied by a squadron of other British yachts and warships under Admiral Anson, but on its return the squadron was three times blown over to the Norwegian coast by westerly gales and took ten days to reach Harwich, which it did in early September 1761.

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