As war grew closer, a fleet of Royal Navy ships assembled at Spithead on the Solent to depart for the Baltic Sea. Their orders were to prevent Russia’s Northern Fleet from entering the North Sea and threatening Britain. On board the yacht Fairy, seen here in the centre foreground flying the Royal Standard, Queen Victoria watched the departure of the ships, which included the Royal George (left foreground) and St Jean d’Acre (leading the fleet to the right).