SOLEIL ROYAL

The 16th century

SOLEIL ROYAL (Royal Sun) was a French 104-guns ship of the line, flagship of Admiral Tourville. She was built in Brest between 1668 and 1670 by engineer Laurent Hubac, was launched in 1669, and stayed unused in Brest harbour for years. She was recommissioned with 112 guns and 1200 men when the Nine Year’s War broke out in 1688 as the flagship of the squadron of the Ponant.

She was said to be a good sailing ship and her decorations were amongst the most beautiful and elaborate of all baroque flagships. The emblem of the “sun” had been chosen by Louis XIV as his personal symbol.

Soleil Royal became a traditional name for capital ships of the Ancien regime, and several ships bore it afterwards.

Her model built in 1839 by sculptor and modelist Jean-Baptiste Tanneron is now on display at the National Navy Museum in Paris.

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Highlights about the Soleil Royal model ship:

•   This model ship is entirely handmade by skilled and experienced craftsmen, using the plank on frame construction method

•    No kits are used

•    Anchors, guns, decorations, and other intricate details sculpted of metal

•    Meticulously sewn sails, keep the sails from wrinkle

•    Use high-quality wood such as rosewood, ebony, black wood, mahogany wood…., timbers are after process step of pre-construction.

•    The Soleil Royal model ship is built on scale by the original plan, then drawn up  and painted by actual photographs to ensure the best accuracy.