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Built in1587 for Sir Walter Raleigh, who ordered her as the Ark Raleigh, she was bought by Queen Elizabeth I while still on the stocks to improve England's floating strength and her name was changed to Ark Royal.
As Lord Howard of Effingham's flagship she played a notable part in the defeat of the Armada in 1588.
In the reign of James I she was refitted and her name was again changed to Anne Royal. She sank in the Thames in 1636 after a disastrous fire.

Sea Breezes 6/64
Poland SG1460, Brit Virgin Is?, Gambia SG2909, St Vincent SG1138

Sir Walter Raleigh ordered her and she was built at the Deptford Dry-dock by the master shipwright Richard Chapman.
Tonnage 555/694 tons burden, dim. 100 ft. length of keel, 37 x 15ft.
Armament: 4 cannons, 4 demi-cannon, 12 culverins, 12 demi-culverins, 6 sakers and 6 smaller guns.
Crew 270
1587 Launched as the ARK ROYAL.
1588 Commissioned under command of Lord Charles Howard of Effingham.


Built for Sir Walter Raleigh at Deptford, ARK RALEIGH was taken over by Queen Elizabeth before completion and renamed.
With high stern castles but a cut-down forecastle that made her more weatherly than the high-charged vessels of the previous century, she had four masts; the fore and main were square rigged and set topsails, while the mizzen and bonaventure set single lateen sails

During the Spanish Armada the following year, ARK ROYAL sailed as flagship of Charles Howard, Lord Howard of Effingham. When the Spanish Armada arrived in the English Channel on July 30, 1588, Howard led his fleet of more than fifty-six ships out of Plymouth. The following day, his ships came astern of the larger, less maneuverable Spanish fleet, and ARK ROYAL was the first English ship to engage the Spanish, attacking the 820-ton rata SANTA MARIA ENCORONADA until other Spanish ships could come to her aid. On August 2, the Spanish fleet was caught off Portland Bill between the English fleet and the land. Martín de Bertendona's REGAZONA attempted to board ARK ROYAL, which slipped away. When the wind changed in Howard's favor, he attacked Medina Sidonia's flagship, SAN MARTÍN, though to little effect. The following three days brought only light winds and the two fleets made their way slowly towards Calais, where they anchored on August 6. The next night, Howard ordered a fleet of fire ships sent down on the Spanish fleet, which escaped in disorder but otherwise relatively unscathed. The next morning, Howard led an English force in boarding the galleass SAN LORENZO, which had grounded on a sandbar in the escape, and ARK ROYAL missed the main action of the Battle of Gravelines. By the next day, the Spanish fleet was blown past the rendezvous with the land forces of the Duke of Parma and into the North Sea. Although the English could not destroy the Spanish fleet, the elements did.

ARK ROYAL’s next major engagement came in 1596, when she was part of a fleet that attacked the Spanish at Cadiz, under command of Amyas Preston as flagship of Lord High Admiral Effingham.

She was readied to repel another Spanish threat in 1599, although the anticipated invasion never happened.

09 October 1606 docked at Woolwich to be rebuilt.
She was taken to pieces and rebuilt.
Tonnage 621/828 tons burden, dim. 107 ft. length of keel 37.10 x 15.4 ft..
Armament: 2 cannon-periers, 5 demi-cannon, 12 culverins, 13 demi-culverins, 8 sakers and 4 smaller port guns.
29 June 1608 launched or completed.

ARK ROYAL was rebuilt as ANNE ROYAL, named in honour of James’s Queen.
1625 Commissioned under command of Captain Sir Thomas Love as flagship of Admiral Sir Edward Cecil.
Made ready for the assault on Cadiz, Spain.
1636 Under command of Sir John Pennington, Vice Admiral of the Ship Money Fleet.
09 April 1636 she bilged on her own anchor and sunk off Tibury Hope in the River Thames.
She was salvaged; the remains were broken up at Blackwall.


Source: Mattingly, Armada. Sugden, Sir Francis Drake.British. Warships in the Age of sail 1603-1714 by Rif Winfield.
Paraquay 1972 0.10G sg?, scott? ( The stamp is designed after a painting made by Hans Holbein)
Gambia 1998 5d sg2909 scott?

Ark Royal

Gambia 1998