Lot 66: William Edward Atkins (British, 1842-1910) The royal yacht Victoria & Albert (II), with Queen Victoria aboard, departing from Portsmouth Harbour

The royal yacht Victoria & Albert (II), with Queen Victoria aboard, departing from Portsmouth Harbour
signed 'W.E.Atkins' (lower right)
pen, ink and watercolour with scratching out
31 x 93cm (12 3/16 x 36 5/8in).

H.M.Yacht Victoria & Albert (II) was built at Pembroke Dock and launched on 16th January 1855. Designed to replace the original Victoria & Albert which had become too small, the new yacht was commissioned on 3rd March 1855, and the Queen and Prince Albert were captivated with her from the start. She was soon treated by them as a floating home and their early years aboard her - prior to the Prince Consort's death in 1861 - were so filled with happy memories that the Queen became increasingly unwilling to travel anywhere by sea unless on her favourite yacht. The Queen continually refused to entertain all suggestions of a modern screw replacement, so Victoria & Albert (II) was kept in constant use and her final official passage was to carry the aged Queen to Ireland in April 1900. Just prior to this, in 1897, the Queen had finally consented to the laying-down of a new yacht but by the time it was ready for sea in July 1901, Queen Victoria herself had died and she did not have to witness the demise of her much-loved Victoria & Albert (II) when it was scrapped in 1904.