Else Beekman
In March 1895, the Spanish cruiser Reina Regente set sail from Cádiz towards Tangier with 420 people on board, including 412 Spanish crew members. It was last seen by the crews of two British ships, the Mayfield and the Matheus, navigating rough waters in the Strait of Gibraltar. Shortly after, it vanished without a trace, becoming one of Spain’s most tragic and mysterious naval disasters.
On the day of its disappearance, the ship was carrying a delegation from the Sultan of Morocco. These people came back from unsuccessful negotiations in Madrid. They were eager to return home, but the weather quickly worsened. The crew of the Mayfield later reported to Spanish authorities they had encountered the Reina Regente in a severe storm. However, they noticed no damage. However, the ship was struggling against the violent waves. The Matheus also spotted the ship but could offer no further details. After these sightings, the Reina Regente, its passengers and crew were never seen again.
Initial fears and theories
Three days after the ship’s disappearance, concerns began to rise. Newspapers like El Día reported the absence of news from the ship, and rumours of a shipwreck started to circulate. Authorities in Cádiz confirmed that some debris had washed ashore, believed to be from the Reina Regente, intensifying fears of a disaster. As days passed without any sign of survivors or bodies, hope faded.
The Reina Regente had been considered a modern marvel of naval engineering, built in Scotland and outfitted with the latest technology. Its sudden disappearance shocked the nation. Despite extensive searches, no bodies or wreckage were ever found. A fact, leading to a series of speculations about what might have caused the tragedy.
Enduring mystery and theories
To this day, the exact cause of the ship’s disappearance remains a mystery. One theory suggests that the ship capsized suddenly due to a “synchronism of motion” between the ship and the massive waves. Others speculate that the storm caused flooding on the ship’s deck, leading to its sinking. There were even accounts of locals claiming to have seen the “ghost ship” drifting near the coast. However, none of these reports were ever confirmed.
Efforts to locate the wreck have continued over the years, but no concrete evidence has been found. In 2009, the Spanish government initiated a project to search for and protect historic shipwrecks like the Reina Regente, but this effort remains incomplete.