Having grown up attending Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria’s children and grandchildren had a great appreciation for the art of sailing. In fact, in later years the Cowes Regatta appears to have become somewhat of a uniting event in the royal calendar, with members of Victoria’s family travelling from all around the world to watch and participate in the races. But whilst most were attending for pleasure, the races ignited the rivalry between Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and his nephew, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.
Growing up in Prussia, Kaiser Wilhelm II always had a level of resentment towards his British bloodline and the ability/ reputation of the British Navy and saw the Cowes Regatta as an opportunity to prove himself and Germany’s nautical abilities to his British relatives. In the early 1890s he commissioned a new yacht, the “Meteor”, to be built and raced on the Solent against his uncle’s ship, the “Britannia”.
On 2nd August 1892, Victoria writes in her journal that ‘the Princes were absent as the Regatta had began & my cup was being sailed for, amongst the racing being William’s “meteor”… everyone was much disappointed that William was beaten by a very little Adm: Victor Montagu (my godson)’.
However, losing the Queen’s cup was the least of Wilhelm’s worries. On 18th August 1896, ‘a dreadful accident happened’ when the “Meteor” collided with some smaller boats racing separately near Portsmouth. Wilhelm’s yacht ‘cut into & utterly crushed the “Isolde” belonging to a German Baron Sezwitz, who was killed almost on the spot by the mast falling on him. The crew were saved by other boats, but the yacht is a complete wreck. The “Britannia” was also somewhat injured’.
That same year Wilhelm commissioned the “Meteor II”, which would be the biggest ship of its time. Just as he had hoped, the Kiser smugly won against his uncle. According to reports, Edward was so angry that he punched Wilhelm in the face before storming into the Royal Yacht Club. After this, Edward retired from racing at Cowes week, although he maintained his love of sailing into his later years.
© Queen.Victoria.Roses 2026
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Dear Shannon,
Thank you for this content. I love reading about the lives of Victoria, Albert and her children plus extended family.
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