3-017-126 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Plymouth: the Royal Yacht Osborne passing through the French and English squadrons of ironclads in Plymouth Sound, 1865. Naval review with sailors manning the yards. 'The French ironclads Magenta and La Flandre (steam-rams), with the French gun-boat Ariel, under the command of Commodore Le Bris, had come to Plymouth for a friendly meeting with three of the English ships of war - the Sovereign, Achilles, and Prince Consort - which were appointed to represent our Navy on this occasion; besides which there were also present in the Sound two other ships of our Navy, the frigate Constance and the sloop Gannet; and one of the Austrian navy, the frigate Frederick, commanded by Captain Waiblinger. The whole surface of the harbour, too, was alive with craft of every description gliding swiftly to and fro; conspicuous among them being the Enchantress, the steam-yacht of the Lords of the Admiralty. It was half-past two o'clock when the report of twenty-one guns, again and again repeated from ship and fort, conveyed the tidings that the Royal yacht was at hand'. From "Illustrated London News", 1865.