The Capture of the Royal Prince, Willem van de Velde (II), c. 1670
oil on canvas, h 58.5cm × w 81cm × d 6.5cm More details
On 13 June 1666, the third day of the Four Days’ Battle, the English flagship the Royal Prince ran aground on a sandbank off the English coast. It was then captured by Cornelis Tromp, who transferred its crew to his vessel, the Gouda (at left). Admiral de Ruyter commanded Tromp to burn this prize. He would have preferred to tow it back to the Netherlands in triumph.
