Drott (53,4 x 8,1m), King Oscar II's favorite ship |
Oscar II (1829 - 1907), King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1905, entered the Royal Swedish Navy already at the age of eleven, and was appointed junior lieutenant in 1845. Throughout his life King Oscar retained his love for the sea and the navy, his favored military branch.
Oscar, who also was a distinguished writer and musical amateur, showed his love for the navy even in his poetry; a collection of his lyrical and narrative poems, Memorials of the Swedish Fleet, published anonymously, obtained the second prize of the Swedish Academy in 1858.
As a young navy officer Oscar had the command of this "Cannon dinghy" (1845). |
Drott in Marstrand on the southwestern coast of Sweden.. (drawing) |
A photograph of Drott anchored in Marstrand, from the late 1890s. |
In 1905 Drott had white paint and one funnel less. |
"And the ladies, how they stared at His Majesty! They looked like they would have wanted to swallow him up with their gazes. When we arrived in the old town, there stood a strong and wide madam, with beautiful features. I will never forget how her countenance glowed and shone, her nostrils widened, her eyes flashed, and her bosom rose, as she from the folds of her headscarf, firmly fixed her eyes on the king."
King Oscar posing for the photographer on board the Drott in Lysekil. |
The King, surrounded by officers of the Royal Swedish Navy. |
Also king Oscar's successor Gustaf V used the Drott for visits. This photograph was taken in 1909. |
During the WW I years the Drott was not properly taken care of. In 1923 it was decommissioned and sold to a Danish firm in order to be scrapped. A sad fate for a beautiful ship.
No comments:
Post a Comment