Historic artillery battery on Willis's Plateau in Gibraltar’s Upper Rock.
Princess Royal's Battery is an artillery battery in Gibraltar, on Willis's Plateau at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, southeast of Princess Anne's Battery. Built about 1705, it was formerly called Willis's Battery and Queen Anne's Battery, and is listed by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.
Princess Royal's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It stands on Willis's Plateau at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, just southeast of Princess Anne's Battery and near the entrance to the 18th‑century Middle Galleries tunnels. The battery forms part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar and is owned by the Government of Gibraltar. Construction of the battery dates to about 1705, on the second declivity at the north end of the Rock of Gibraltar. During the early eighteenth century, the batteries on Willis's Plateau were collectively known as Willis's Batteries, after a British artillery officer commended for his actions during the 1704 capture of Gibraltar. This particular position was first referred to as Willis's Battery, later as Queen Anne's Battery or Queen's Battery. In 1727 it had a fan‑like plan and mounted twelve guns; nearly all the guns in Willis's were six‑pounders, and a three‑pounder in Queen Anne's Battery was noted for its effectiveness against enemy works. After the Great Siege of Gibraltar, the site was renamed Princess Royal's Battery in honour of Charlotte, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George III. The battery remained active from the early eighteenth century until at least the mid‑twentieth century, but has been decommissioned and its guns removed. It is listed by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.
