William IV silver-gilt yachting trophy 'The King's Cup', in the form of a tankard won by the racing cutter 'Alarm', 21 August 1830.

The cylindrical barrel of the tankard is decorated with a rectangular panel in low relief of Neptune's chariot, with a band of oak leaves above and a frieze of putti rowing shells below. There is a single leaf-capped double scroll handle. Inscribed above and below the Neptune panel: 'ROYAL YACHT CLUB 1830. The gift of His Most Gracious Majesty King William the Fourth'. The tankard is engraved with Royal armorials on each side of the central panel, and chased with honeysuckle motifs; the spreading base cast with foliage tendrels on a matt ground. The domed hinged lid is surmounted by a crowned lion. Inside the lid is a medallion portrait of William IV, similar to the Accessional Medal of the King by William Wyon after Sir Francis Chantrey.

The makers mark is struck: 'Rundell Bridge et Rundell Aurifices Regis Londini'. The tankard is in a contemporary wooden box labelled: 'Rundell Bridge & Rundell Jewellers Goldsmiths Watch makers etc. To His Majesty their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Clarence and all the Royal Family, Ludgate Hill, London'.

This trophy was won by the cutter 'Alarm', owned by the famous yachtman Mr J.R. Weld of Lulworth (1777-1863), at a regatta of the Royal Yacht Club, Cowes (precursor of the Royal Yacht Squadron) on 21 August 1830, in honour of the King's birthday. The 'Alarm', 193 tons, competed with 'Scorpion', 110 tons, and 'Miranda', 164 tons. The 'Alarm' of 80 feet length, was built at Lymington for Joseph Weld in 1830: this was her first season, in which -at the start of Cowes Week on 14 August - she completed Weld's hat-trick of three successive annual wins of the Ladies Challenge Cup, as well as winning the King's Cup to conclude it. She subsequently won a number of trophies, and in 1851 competed for the 100-Guinea Cup against, among others, the 'America', an event which led to the America's Cup races. 'Alarm' continued racing until 1867 and she was only broken up in 1889.