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Built as a ship of the line 1st Rate at Havana for the Spanish Navy.
Launched under the name PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS.
Tonnage 2.108 ton, dim. 210 x 58ft.
Armament 30 – 36pdr. 32 – 24pdr. 32 – 12pdr. 18 – 8pdr.
Crew 1113
Completed in 1794.

She was a three-decker. Her first action was at the Battle of Cape Saint Vincent fought on 14 February 1797. Admiral Don Jose de Cordova was attempting to pass the Straits of Gibraltar with a fleet of 28 Spanish ships to rendezvous with a French fleet at Brest for a coordinated invasion of Ireland, when he was attacked by a fleet of 15 British ships under command of Admiral Sir John Jervis.
Five of the Spanish ships in the lee division realizing they were not in the direct attack of the British fled off to the northeast and a sixth sailed off to the southeast.
The PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS with two other ships gallantly closed the cap to take their positions. But due to a heavy fog and the disorganized state of the battle, the PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS was not heavily engaged and survived the encounter with only minor damage.

At the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, the PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS was under command of Rafael de Hore and flagship of Rear Admiral Don Federico Gravina. She held the lead position in the van of the Franco-Spanish fleet. However, when the British under Admiral Horatio Nelson was sighted, French Admiral Pierre Villeneuve ordered an about face and a return to Cadiz. This then reversed her position and placed the PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS as the last ship in the long line of 33.
By the time the PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS was able to get into action at 02.00 pm that day the battle had already been decided. She tried to support the SAN JUAN NEPOMUCENO (74 guns) which was already heavily damaged and engaged with the British HMS DREADNOUGHT (98 guns) but it was hopeless. Within 15 minutes the SAN JUAN NEPOMUCENO struck her colors. But the HMS DREADNOUGHT did not wait to take possession of her, but at once devoted her whole efforts to an attack on the PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS. The British ship HMS THUNDERER (74 guns) then wore across her bows with a raking fire and a third ship the HMS PRINCE (98 guns) also directed fire at her. Faced with three enemy ships and with the battle already lost the PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS with her sails intact was ultimately able to make sail and escape to Cadiz.
During the battle she had 52 men lost and 116 wounded.

During the War of Independence she took part in the capture of the French ships HEROS, NEPTUNO, ALGÉSIRAS, VAINQUEUR, PLUTÓN and the frigate CORNELIÉ.

1814 Was she broken up.

Cuba 1996 65c sg 4075, scott 3744.

Source: Watercraft Philately Vol 45 page 12. Campaign Vol. 14/3. Trafalgar and the Spainish Navy by John D Hardborn.