Soleil Royal

Type

Ship of the Line

Period

17th Century

Nation

France

Overview: Soleil Royal was a 104-gun French ship of the line, flagship of Admiral Anne Hilarion de Tourville, and one of the most celebrated warships of Louis XIV's navy. She was built in Brest between 1668 and 1670 by shipwright Laurent Hubac, launched in 1669, and became renowned for the extravagant baroque carving and gilding of her hull, reflecting the Sun King's personal "sun" emblem. Specifications: The ship measured roughly 61 m (200 ft) in length with a beam of 15.64 m (51.3 ft) and a draught of 7.64 m (25.1 ft), displacing around 1,630 tonnes. She carried a complement near 836 (swelling to about 1,200 when recommissioned for war) and mounted 104 guns of mixed caliber (36-, 18-, 12-, 8-, and 4-pounder long guns), later re-rated up to 112 guns. Service History: After sitting largely unused in Brest harbour for years following her launch, she was recommissioned in 1688 at the outbreak of the Nine Years' War as flagship of the Ponant Fleet. She led the French center at the Battle of Beachy Head (1690) and later fought at the Battle of Barfleur (1692), where heavy damage forced her to seek repairs at Cherbourg alongside other damaged ships. Notable Facts: Beached and unable to return to Brest after Barfleur, Soleil Royal was set ablaze by an English fireship at Cherbourg during the night of 2–3 June 1692, with only one survivor among her large crew reported. Her wreck reportedly lies buried beneath what is now a parking area near the Cherbourg arsenal. Her name and decorative legacy were carried on by two later French ships also named Soleil-Royal (1692 and 1749), the latter being burnt at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759 — modelers should take care to distinguish between these three distinct vessels when sourcing plans or references.