HMS Duke was a 90-gun second-rate ship of the line constructed for the Royal Navy, launched on 13 June 1682 at Woolwich Dockyard. As a second-rate vessel, she was a formidable warship designed to serve as a powerful component of the fleet’s line of battle. In 1701, she underwent a significant rebuild, which maintained her 90-gun armament and her classification as a second-rate ship. Following this reconstruction, she was renamed HMS Prince George, in honor of the future King George II. During her service as HMS Prince George, the ship participated in notable conflicts such as the War of the Spanish Succession. She fought at the Battle of Málaga and was involved in the capture of Gibraltar, contributing to major British naval achievements in the early 18th century. In 1719, the vessel was ordered to be dismantled and rebuilt again at Deptford by master shipwright Richard Stacey. She was relaunched on 4 September 1723, reconstructed as a 90-gun second-rate according to the 1719 Establishment, which standardized ship designs and armament. Further repairs occurred in June 1757 at Portsmouth Dockyard, where the ship was taken apart and repaired over four months at a cost of £9,513. After this overhaul, HMS Prince George was recommissioned as the flagship of Rear Admiral Broderick. Her service came to a tragic end on 13 April 1758, when she was at sea in the Bay of Biscay. A fire broke out below decks, rapidly spreading throughout the ship. The fire led to her foundering, resulting in the loss of 485 crew members out of a total of 745. Overall, HMS Duke (later HMS Prince George) exemplifies the evolution of Royal Navy second-rate ships in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with a distinguished service record that included participation in key naval battles and a tragic end highlighting the dangers of wooden warship warfare.

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