Soleil Royal — Louis XIV's Flagship Model, Medium | Admiral Line
Soleil Royal — Louis XIV's Flagship Model, Medium | Admiral Line
Model details
- Materials
- Mahogany, Western red cedar, Rosewood, Brass, Linen sails
- Construction
- Plank-on-frame, built by hand
- Condition
- Fully assembled, ready to display
- Display
- Wooden base with brass nameplate
- Collection
- Tall Ship Models - Admiral Line
- Item no.
- T071
The Sun King's flagship, and the most lavishly decorated warship France ever put to sea.
Louis XIV treated Soleil Royal as a floating statement of the monarchy, and had the ornament designed to match — gilded sculpture across the stern, quarter galleries and beakhead, all of it carrying sun imagery. Reproducing that carving in miniature is most of the work in this model.
Construction
- Plank-on-frame hull in western red cedar, rosewood and mahogany
- Three gun decks with cast cannon and carved port surrounds
- Deep-carved and gilded stern gallery, quarter galleries, lanterns and beakhead
- Three masts and bowsprit with complete hand-knotted rigging
- Hand-stitched linen sails on every yard
- Ship's boats, capstan, wheel, anchors and rudder
- Solid wood base and engraved brass nameplate
- Fully assembled
History
Built at Brest and launched in 1669, Soleil Royal carried around 100 guns and served as flagship of the French fleet under the Comte de Tourville. She led the line at Beachy Head in 1690 and again at Barfleur in May 1692, where she fought a much larger Anglo-Dutch force for a full day. Driven ashore near Cherbourg in the retreat afterwards, she was burned by English fireships on 2 June 1692.