French ship Soleil Royal (1669)

Soleil Royal on fire at the action at La Hogue
History
Kingdom of France
Laid downDecember 1668
Launched13 December 1669
CompletedAugust 1670
Commissioned1671 (?)
Out of serviceThe night of June 2nd and 3rd 1692
FateDestroyed by fireships
General characteristics
Displacement2,500 tonneaux
Tons burthen2,400 port tonneaux
Length61 m (200 ft)
Beam15.64 m (51.3 ft)
Draught7.64 m (25.1 ft)
Propulsionsails
Complement836
Armament

Soleil Royal (Royal Sun) was a 104-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She was the flagship of Admiral Anne Hilarion de Tourville.

She was built in Brest, France between 1668 and 1670 by shipwright Laurent Hubac, was launched in 1669, and stayed unused in the Brest harbour for years. She was recommissioned with 112 guns and 1200 men when the Nine Years' War broke out in 1688 as the flagship of the Ponant Fleet.

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.