The Castle was continued as a fort, and on the death of the last Governor, the Marquis of Anglesey, who was a very great patron of yachting small and great, the Marquis Conyngham took a lease of the property from the Crown and passed it on in 1856 to the Royal Yacht Squadron, which was established in 1812, as the seal shows. In 1815 a meeting of the then club was held at the Thatched House Tavern, St. James's Street, Lord Grantham in the chair, supported by Lords Ashbrook, Belmore, Buckingham, Cawdor, Craven, Deerhurst, Fitzharris, Kirkwall, Nugent, Ponsonby, Thomond, Uxbridge, Sirs W. Curtis, J. Hippesley, G. Thomas, Godfrey Webster, Colonels Sheddon and Wheatley, &c. when new life was infused into the Association, and from that time the Squadron has held the proud position of being the first yacht club in the world, with the much-envied privilege and distinction of flying the White Ensign. [Illustration: Cowes Castle, from drawing by Loutherburg.] After 1815, the R.Y.S. met for some years at the Medina Hotel, East Cowes, and later on the Gloucester Hotel, at West Cowes, was taken for the club-house, close to the Fort and Castle, whither, as just remarked, they moved in 1856. It was at once rebuilt and enlarged. The situation is beautiful, backed by large elm-trees. The platform commands a grand view--towards the Motherbank, Ryde, and the Forts to the eastward, with Calshot Castle, Portdown Hill, and Southampton Water to the northward, and, away to the westward, Lymington. [Illustration: Seal of Royal Yacht Club, Cowes.] Two of the old guns, formerly in the Fort, have been happily preserved, and are now placed in the grounds which have recently been added to the Castle property on the west side, towards Egypt. _The History of the Royal Cups_ The first Royal Cup was presented by His Majesty King William IV., 1830, to be competed for by yachts belonging to members of the Squadron; and the gift was continued during His Majesty's reign. The table appended furnishes details. +------+----------+------+------+----------------+ | Year | Yacht | Rig | Tons | Owner | +----- +----------+------+------+----------------+ | 1830 | Alarm |Cutter| 193 | Jos. Weld | | 1831 | Alarm | " | 193 | Jos. Weld | | 1832 | Alarm | " | 193 | Jos. Weld | | 1833 | -- | -- | -- | -- | | 1834 | Harriet | " | 65 | G. W. Heneage | | 1835 | Columbine| " | 90 | J. Smith-Barry | | 1836 | Breeze | " | 55 | James Lyons | | 1837 | Amulet | " | 51 | J. Mecklam | | 1838 | Alarm | " | 193 | Joseph Weld | +------+----------+------+------+----------------+