HMS Princess was originally the Dutch East Indiaman Williamstadt en Boetzlaar (or Willemstad en Boetselaar), which the British Royal Navy captured at the Capitulation of Saldanha Bay on 18 August 1795. The vessel was built as a merchant ship under the Dutch East India Company, sailing from Texel on 22 December 1794 under Captain Simon Koter, heading for Batavia. She arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on 10 May 1795, en route to her destination. Following her capture, the Royal Navy quickly repurposed her, initially rating her as a 28-gun sixth-rate ship. She was commissioned into Royal Navy service in November 1795 under Captain John Spanger. Over the following years, she saw a series of commanding officers, including Captain Thomas Hardy, Captain A. Todd, and Captain N. Kemp. By August 1797, she was paid off and subsequently fitted at Plymouth as a receiving ship. Throughout her service, HMS Princess primarily served as a guard ship and floating battery. In August 1797, she was commissioned as a guardship at Waterford under Lieutenant Richard Dorril, with subsequent command changes involving Lieutenant Cox and Lieutenant Wills. She remained in service in various roles, including as a guard ship at Waterford in 1801 and as a floating battery for Lymington and Liverpool from 1803 onward. Her duties included harbor defense and serving as a stationary defense platform. HMS Princess remained active through the early 19th century under various commanders, including Commander Samuel Colquitt, Commander Edward Killwick, and Captain Donald M'Leod. She was eventually sold by the Royal Navy in April 1816 at Liverpool for £740. Her service record highlights her transition from a merchant vessel to a naval auxiliary, playing a role in harbor defense and maritime security during a period of significant naval activity.

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