ROYAL SOVEREIGN – First Through The Line is the second stunning new limited edition fine art print in the Trafalgar series by the award winning artist Richard Grenville. Perfectly balanced to partner Victory’s Finest Moment, this print depicts the opening action in the leeward column that reached the French and Spanish line first.

HMS Royal Sovereign like the Victory was a first rate ship of 100 guns and Flag Ship of Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Known by its crew as the West Country Wagon she proved much faster than the rest of the British fleet that day and put Collingwood right at the front of the action exactly where he wanted to be.
Breaking the line behind the beautiful Spanish ship Santa Anna, the British Flagship let loose a devastating broadside into the vulnerable stern of the Spaniard. As the two evenly matched vessels came against each-other the Santa Anna returned an equally brutal broadside and so started a battle that would last over five hours.

The next British ship was the Belleisle (seen right in the picture) which came under a fierce barrage of cannon and shot unleashed from every French and Spaniard that was in range of her, killing at least fifty of the crew before they too could engage the enemy.

Slowly the two sides were engulfed in smoke as more ships joined the battle at the isolated rear of the combined fleet. The skill and seamanship of the British crews slowly started to win the battle of brutal attrition. Victorious they were unaware that in the northern column their great leader Vice Admiral Lord Nelson had fallen and were only informed of his death as the battle came to a close. Collingwood grief stricken at the news was left to organise the many prizes and badly damaged ships under his command. Vulnerable to fresh attack and close to the enemy shore they would soon be engulfed by a terrible storm that would last for several days.

A magnificent fine art print, that brings the opening part of this great battle to life. A must for any serious maritime art collector.