Scale: 1:48. A contemporary full hull model of 'Queen' (1839), a 110-gun, three-decker ship of the line. It is complete with stump masts and bowsprit, channels together with deadeyes, and the whole model mounted on its original turned wooden pillars fixed to the baseboard. The hull and rudder have been painted copper below the waterline to illustrate sheathing. The upper works are finished in the standard black and white format, interspersed with hinged gunport lids, covering blank solid gunports. The closed stern includes two tiers of pierced gallery rails as well as decorated quarter galleries either side. On deck, there are a number of fittings including a double wheel, skylights, gratings, whilst the hammock nettings on the bulwarks are left empty.

The `Queen’ was the first of the large sailing warships designed by Sir William Symonds. It was laid down in Portsmouth in 1833 under the name `Royal Frederick’, and originally rated as a 120-gun ship. Measuring 204 feet along the gundeck by 60 feet in the beam, it had a tonnage of 3104 burden.

Symonds introduced iron riders (diagonal bracing of the hold) instead of the heavy and bulky wooden riders used in the earlier vessels, which allowed larger and stronger ships to be built increasing the space internally. The `Queen’ was said to have been a very sea-worthy ship with many of the senior officers writing to Symonds praising it very highly in all weathers. When all the principal sails were set, it gave a coverage of 30,000 square feet, equivalent to two thirds of an acre.

Serving as the flagship in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the `Queen’ took part in the Crimean War and was set on fire by a shell during the bombardment of Sebastopol on 11 October 1854. Cut down to two decks, it was converted to a screw battleship of 86 guns in 1859 and eventually in 1871, withdrawn from service and sold for breaking at Castles Yard, Charlton.