HMS Gloucester was a 54-gun, third-rate loudspeaker class frigate. She was originally built for the Commonwealth Navy in the 1650s. After the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, the ship was taken over by the Royal Navy. HMS Gloucester fought in many important battles during the Anglo-Spanish War and the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars, which took place between 1654 and 1660.

She was wrecked off the Norfolk coast in 1682 while carrying James Stewart, Duke of York. He later became King James II. The ship was scheduled to sail from Portsmouth to Edinburgh to allow the Duke to conduct business in the Scottish Parliament. In addition, he was going to pick up his pregnant wife, Mary of Modena, and return with her to England so she could give birth there. However, early in the morning of May 6, 1682, HMS Gloucester collided with a sandbar near Great Yarmouth. The rudder was broken and the ship was pitted.

The Duke of York initially refused to leave the ship because he was sure she would not get lost. The protocol insisted that no one was to abandon ship when there was a member of the royal family on board. This resulted in the deaths of some 120 to 250 people, for which the Duke of York denied responsibility. Instead, he blamed James Ayres, captain of HMS Gloucester.

The wreck of the HMS Gloucester was actually discovered by divers in 2007, but was not made public until this month (June 2022) for safety reasons. It was found fifteen years ago in international waters 28 miles out to sea. Claire Jowitt, a maritime expert at the University of East Anglia, said the discovery "...... is arguably the most significant historic maritime find since the Mary Rose was raised in 1982."

The wreckage was successfully identified due to the ship's bells, as well as clothing, shoes, navigational equipment, personal possessions and bottles of wine. Animal bones were found, but no human remains. Interestingly, one of the wine bottles on the ship had a glass seal with the coat of arms of the Rieger family. They were ancestors of George Washington, the first President of the United States.

The wreck itself is split at the keel and the remains of the hull are submerged in sand. At the time of writing, there are no plans to raise the wreckage.

Brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell discovered the wreck in 2007 and have mostly self-funded their dives. They were helped by their late father and two friends. The group spent four years on a diving expedition to find HMS Gloucester.

Following the discovery of the wreckage, which has now been made public in 2022, Lincoln Barnwell said, "It's awe-inspiring, it's beautiful ...... It feels like an honor, it's so exciting. At that moment we were the only people in the world who knew where the wreck was - it was special and I'll never forget it."

The brothers were inspired by their own memories of the raising of the Mary Rose in 1982, although they themselves didn't really realize the importance of HMS Gloucester. They knew of the Duke of York, but that was about it.

Norwich Castle Museum is currently planning an exhibition dedicated to HMS Gloucester, which will run from February to July 2023. An accompanying research project will also examine the circumstances of the tragedy and theories of conspiracy.

The discovery of HMS Gloucester was a major milestone in maritime history. It is always important to savor the heritage of any ship and Norwich Castle Museum will be doing just that next year. It is the only surviving third-rate Cromwellian battleship and the wreck brings with it great historical significance. As many experts have said, it is a remarkable find, perhaps one of the most important in decades.

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