HMS Royal Charles was a prominent three-decker ship of the line built for the Commonwealth of England's Navy, originally designated as Naseby. Constructed at Woolwich Dockyard under the supervision of Peter Pett II, she was part of a 1654 program to produce four second-rate ships, each intended to carry 60 guns. However, early in her construction, Naseby was alterations to serve as a first-rate vessel, mounting a full battery of guns along her upper deck, and was reclassified as an 80-gun ship. Her length was extended by 7 feet, measuring 131 feet on the keel and 42 feet in breadth, later increased to 42 feet 6 inches through girdling, which also raised her burthen tonnage to approximately 1,259 tons. Her armament was substantial, comprising 20 seven-pounder (42-pounders) cannon and 6 demi-cannon on the lower deck, 26 culverins on the middle deck, and 28 demi-culverins on the upper decks, with a later addition bringing her to 82 guns total. Her design included fully armed decks, a distinctive feature compared to her intended sister ships. Initially named Naseby, she played a role in the political transition surrounding the Restoration. In 1660, she was renamed HMS Royal Charles after arriving in the Netherlands, where she transported King Charles II and his entourage from Scheveningen to Dover. She then became part of the Royal Navy, which was officially established in 1660. Larger than the famous Sovereign of the Seas, Royal Charles served for approximately twelve years. During her service, she participated notably in the Second Anglo-Dutch War, including the Battle of Lowestoft (1665), where she likely destroyed the Dutch flagship Eendracht, and in subsequent battles such as the Four Days Battle and the St. James's Day Battle in 1666. Her career ended after the Dutch Raid on the Medway in 1667, during which she was captured by Dutch forces and taken to Hellevoetsluis. She was not incorporated into Dutch naval service due to her draft but was kept as a public attraction until she was auctioned for scrap in 1673. Her figurehead, depicting the royal arms, survives today in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, symbolizing her historical significance as a flagship of the English navy during a pivotal era.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.