A frigate built for the cameras
Every tall ship at the Armada has a story, but few begin on a film set. L'Étoile du Roy — "the King's Star" — was launched in 1997 as the Grand Turk, built in Marmaris, Turkey, specifically to play a British frigate in ITV's award-winning Hornblower series. She was a stand-in for HMS Indefatigable, the ship of C. S. Forester's fictional hero Horatio Hornblower.
Her design was no invention. The replica was modelled on HMS Blandford, a sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy launched in 1741, with the hull shaped by Michael Turk of Turks Shipyard in Chatham — a yard that dates back to 1710. The result is a convincing Age-of-Sail warship: square-rigged on three masts, with iroko planking over laminated mahogany frames and a battery of replica cannon.
A glance at the specs
Length overall
Square-rigged masts
Sail area
Launched (as Grand Turk)
At 46 metres overall — about 38 metres on deck — L'Étoile du Roy is one of the larger traditional sailing vessels based in France, with a beam of 10 metres, a draught of 3 metres, and some 790 square metres of sail. Six replica 9-pounder cannon ring her decks, and because she carries two diesel engines plus a bow thruster, she can handle a tight river like the Seine with ease. When she is not at festivals she is open to the public at her home port of Saint-Malo in Brittany, and is available for private and corporate charter and receptions in her saloon.
A screen career: Napoleon and more
Grand Turk's filmography reads like a streaming queue: Hornblower (1998–2003), Longitude (2000), Monsieur N. (2003), To the Ends of the Earth (2005), Crusoe (2008), the Dutch maritime drama Michiel de Ruyter (2015), the acclaimed La Fortuna (2021) and, most recently, Ridley Scott's Napoleon (2023). Her most regal moment came on 28 June 2005, when, standing in for HMS Victory, she led the night of the Trafalgar 200 International Fleet Review off Portsmouth — Nelson's own flagship.
In 2010 the ship was bought by Étoile Marine Croisières, a company based in Saint-Malo that already operated a small fleet of traditional vessels, and renamed Étoile du Roy. She finally berthed in France on 16 March 2010 after more than a decade moored in Whitby, England, and she has been a fixture of maritime festivals across Europe ever since.
At Rouen with the Armada fleet
Étoile du Roy was among the first ten ships officially confirmed for Armada Rouen 2027, alongside the French three-master Belem, the Mexican naval vessel Cuauhtémoc and the Dutch Oosterschelde. Around forty vessels are expected in total, gathering on the Seine from 17 to 27 June 2027. You can browse the whole gathering in our full fleet and ships index.
For a privateer frigate built to be filmed, Rouen's dramatic quays — the river glinting between half-timbered houses and the towering cathedral beyond — are the perfect stage. She normally enjoys festival life: her crew welcomes curious visitors on deck between day sails, and the replica cannons stay respectfully quiet on the quay while the parties and fireworks do the noise-making.
How to see and board her in Rouen
As with most Armada vessels, visiting Étoile du Roy on the quays is free during the event. Our guide to boarding the tall ships explains how free on-board visits work, when to go to avoid the longest queues (mornings are best), and what to bring. If you prefer to head out on the water rather than join a queue, day sails aboard ships like hers are sometimes offered — and the wind-against-the-tide Seine passage to the estuary on the final Sunday is the famous Grande Parade. You can also watch the fleet's arrival from riverside viewpoints along the Seine.
📚 Related guides
Sources: Wikipedia — "Étoile du Roy" (construction, design and filmography); Étoile Marine Cruises — official website; Normandie Tourisme — "Rouen Armada 2027" (first ships announced). Information correct as of 28 August 2026 but subject to change; boarding hours and sails are confirmed closer to June 2027.