HMS Royal Katherine was an 84-gun second-rate ship of the line, launched in 1664 at Woolwich Dockyard with the notable attendance of King Charles II and Samuel Pepys. Constructed as a full-rigged warship, she played a significant role in naval battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Her early service included participation in the Second Anglo-Dutch War, notably at the Battle of Lowestoft (1665), the Four Days' Battle (1666), and the St. James's Day Battle (1666). During the Raid on the Medway in June 1667, she was scuttled to prevent capture but was later refloated, resuming active duty. Royal Katherine also fought in the Third Anglo-Dutch War, notably at the Battle of Solebay (1672), where she was captured by the Dutch but was retaken on the same day. She participated in the Battle of Schooneveld and the War of the Grand Alliance, fighting at the Battle of Barfleur (1692). In 1702, she was rebuilt at Portsmouth and upgraded to a 90-gun second rate, serving as the flagship of Admiral George Rooke during the War of the Spanish Succession. She played a pivotal role in the capture of Gibraltar in 1704, with her commander flying the flag. Renamed Ramillies in 1706 in honor of John Churchill’s victory at the Battle of Ramillies, she underwent another rebuild at Portsmouth in 1742–43, maintaining her 90-gun configuration. Ramillies served during the Seven Years' War, notably as the flagship of Admiral John Byng. Her service ended when she was wrecked on 15 February 1760 near Bolt Tail, Hope Cove. The ship’s master mistook her position, and despite efforts to anchor, she was driven onto the cliffs and sank, with 26 crew members surviving from her crew of 850. Her sinking was famously memorialized in a contemporary folk song, "The Loss of the Ramillies."

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