French ship Soleil Royal (1669)

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Soleil-Royal.

Soleil Royal (Royal Sun) was a French 104-gun ship of the line, flagship of Admiral Tourville.

Drawing of Soleil Royal by Antoine Morel-Fatio
History
Kingdom of France
Laid down	December 1668
Launched	13 December 1669
Completed	August 1670
Commissioned	1671 (?)
Out of service	night of 2 and 3 June 1692
Fate	Destroyed by fireships
General characteristics
Displacement	1,630 tonnes
Length	61 m (200 ft)
Beam	15.64 m (51.3 ft)
Draught	7.64 m (25.1 ft)
Propulsion	sails
Complement	836
Armament	104 guns: 36-pounder long guns 18-pounder long guns 12-pounder long guns 8-pounder long guns 4-pounder long guns

She was built in Brest between 1668 and 1670 by engineer Laurent Hubac, was launched in 1669, and stayed unused in Brest harbour for years. She was recommissioned with 112 guns and 1200 men when the Nine Years' War broke out in 1688 as the flagship of the escadre du Ponant (squadron of the West).

She was said to be a good sailing ship and her decorations were amongst the most beautiful and elaborate of all baroque flagships. The emblem of the "sun" had been chosen by Louis XIV as his personal symbol.

Career

Battle of Beachy Head

Soleil Royal was recommissioned with 112 guns and 1200 men when the Nine Years' War broke out. She departed Brest on 22 June 1690 as flagship of Anne Hilarion de Tourville. She spent three days in Camaret-sur-Mer waiting for favourable wind before sailing to Isle of Wight where the English fleet was thought to be anchored. Two ships sent in reconnaissance located the English anchored at Beachy Head.

The Battle of Beachy Head (known in French as "Bataille de Béveziers") began in the morning of 10 July 1690 when the French surprised the English ships anchored. Soleil Royal led the centre of the French formation.

Battle of Barfleur

In 1692, on 12 May, now carrying 104 guns, she left Brest, leading a 45-vessel fleet; on the 29th, the squadron met a 97-ship strong English and Dutch fleet in the Battle of Barfleur. In spite of their numerical inferiority, the French attacked but were forced to flee after a large-scale battle resulting in heavy damage to both sides. The Soleil Royal was too severely damaged to return to Brest, and was beached in Cherbourg for repairs, along with the Admirable and Triomphant.

Battle at Cherbourg and the end of the Soleil Royal

During the night of 2 and 3 June, beached at the Pointe du Hommet, she was attacked by 17 ships, which she managed to repel with artillery fire. However, a fireship set her stern on fire and the fire soon reached the powder rooms. Although the population of Cherbourg came to rescue, there was only one survivor among the 883 (or even 950)-strong crew.

The remains of the Soleil Royal now lie buried beneath a parking space next to the Arsenal.

Legacy

Soleil Royal became a traditional name for capital ships of the Ancien Régime, and several ships bore it afterwards.

A detailed 1/40th scale model of the hull and sculptures was built in 1839 by sculptor and modelist Jean-Baptiste Tanneron. This model is now on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris.

Soleil Royal in paintings

• 
  Stern of the Soleil Royal, design by Jean Bérain
• 
  Stern of the Soleil Royal, design by Jean Bérain
• 
  The Battle of La Hogue 23 May 1692
• 
  The Battle of La Hogue by Benjamin West, 1778

Model by Jean-Baptiste Tanneron

• 
  Hull
• 
  Stern
• 
  Bow
• 
  Bow
• 
  Detail of the decoration: Cathead

See also

• List of world's largest wooden ships

References

• (in French) Navire de 1er Rang français
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. p. 418. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
• Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2017). French warships in the age of sail, 1626-1786: design, construction, careers and fates. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781473893511.