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Description:
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The ship-rigged royal yacht 'Peregrine' is shown in starboard-broadside view in the foreground flying the red ensign a Union jack on the sprit and red pennants. Men are busy in the rigging with the sails, one man is depicted standing on the bowsprit and a woman can be seen on deck looking towards the viewer. Another elegant woman in a shallop is about to go on board in the foreground and there is at least a third woman in boats partly visible astern of the 'Peregrine'. The ketch-rigged yacht on the right has the royal coat of arms carved on her stern together with other ornate decoration. She also flies the red ensign, a Union jack and pennant and has a boat coming alongside. Another with mixed male and female occupants is to the right. On the far right is the Deptford waterfront, locating the scene as roughly abreast the Royal Dockyard there, which is where the yachts regularly stationed off Greenwich for both royal and diplomatic traffic were based. On the left possibly about to sail down river, and with the royal coat of arms on the stern, is a naval two-decker flying the red ensign and a pennant, with the Royal Standard at the main, though whether of Queen Anne or George I is not discernable. She also has boats around her, a ceremonial barge on the left and another ship under sail ahead of her in the distance.
Although the exact circumstances surrounding this painting are not clear but it is thought to have been painted when George I arrived in England. On his accession to the throne on the death of Queen Anne he crossed from the Continent in the yacht 'Peregrine' on 18 September 1714, accompanied by a squadron of twenty sail under Admiral Berkeley, and landed at Greenwich after a stormy but successful voyage. For his services on this occasion the captain of the 'Peregrine', William Sanderson, was knighted on board the yacht before the king landed. The 'Peregrine' galley had been built 14 years previously and was subsequently renamed the 'Carolina' in honour of the Princess of Wales. As Elector of Hanover, George I had to reside in that country for some part of the year and so made regular use of the royal yachts, and during his reign (1714-27) he crossed to Hanover six times. He had fifteen yachts, also known as pleasure boats.
The partly completed buildings of Greenwich Hospital can be seen in the background, with only the King William Court dome evident until the Queen Mary Court was constructed, 1735 -51. The Royal Observatory is on top of the hill and the town to the right. On the far left, looking east, a windmill has been depicted. The small boats in the foreground are depicted fulfilling several functions, not only to convey people and baggage to the ships but also to take others out to look at them.
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