This is almost certainly the first painting exhibited by the Liverpool-born marine artist Richard Wright at the Society of Artists in 1762, as A View of the Storm when the Queen was on her passage to England, painted from a sketch drawn on board the Fubbes yacht. The vessel carrying Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz can be seen in the middle of the fleet with the Royal Standard flying at the main. Originally named the Royal Caroline, after George II’s wife, the yacht was renamed the Royal Charlotte before it set forth to collect the Princess from the north German town of Stade on 28 August 1761. It was accompanied by a flotilla under the command of Admiral Lord Anson, consisting of four other royal yachts escorted by six ships-of-war.

The fleet weathered three severe storms before arriving in England on 6 September, and it was reported that the Princess, whose first sea journey it was, described the ocean as an ‘Element terrible’. The journey had been so rough that it was decided that the yacht should land at Harwich rather than travelling up the Thames to Greenwich as planned. The Princess, who was ‘much fatigued’, spent the night near Colchester and embarked upon the final stage of her journey to London by coach the following morning. Increasing numbers of eager crowds had gathered to witness the royal procession which reached St James’s Palace at a quarter past three. It was reported that the Princess threw herself at the King’s feet upon meeting him, but that he raised her up, embraced her and led her into the palace, where the royal couple were to be married by the Archbishop of Canterbury that evening.

Signed and dated R: Wright Pinx