Minature of Prince Rupert (1619-82).

Minature of Prince Rupert (1619-82). © National Maritime Museum, London

Description: A son of Elizabeth of Bohemia, and a nephew of King Charles I, he fought on land for his uncle throughout the Civil War (1642-49) principally as a cavalry commander, and became commander-in-chief of the Royalist land forces in 1644. At the end of the war he took command of the loyalist remnants of the fleet and despite defeat by Blake in 1650, carried on the conflict for several years. Under Charles II, he held commands in the regular navy, fighting in the Second and Third Dutch Wars and becoming Lord High Admiral on the Duke of York's enforced retirement in 1673. In 1670 he was appointed the first Governor of the Hudson Bay Company. He was a man of some artistic talent and intellectual curiosity, and a patron of science, often conducting experiments himself.

Creator: Samuel Cooper

Date: c. 1655

Credit line: National Maritime Museum, London