Sunday 11 December 2011

Royal Barge

The first image has been released of the royal barge that will carry Her Majesty The Queen down the River Thames during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year.

The choice is alas somewhat less lavish than the original plan last year.


The vessel, MV Spirit of Chartwell, will lead a 1,000-strong flotilla along the river on 3 June, 2012,  as Her Majesty marks 60 years on the throne.

HM will be joined on board by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and other members of the Royal Family.

The barge will be adorned with flowers from the Queen's gardens.

The monarch and her husband will be seated on ornate chairs under a gold canopy as the vessel, MV Spirit of Chartwell, cruises down the Thames.

The River Thames was a regular thoroughfare for the Sovereign until the middle of the 19th century, on state occasions or between the Royal Palaces of Windsor, Westminster, Hampton Court, Greenwich and the Tower of London.

There is currently no State Barge, but the MV Royal Nore, owned and maintained by the Port of London Authority, is used whenever a member of the Royal Family travels on the river Thames for an official engagement.

When the Queen is onboard the Royal Standard and Regalia are displayed and Her Majesty is always accompanied by her Bargemaster, along with eight Royal Watermen in full ceremonial dress standing on the fore deck.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

I have to say that the second choice is a much nicer barge; the first choice (your second photo) is quite garish and almost looks like a cross between a gondola and something you would see in a Chinese new year procession. The first photo IS far more dignified a barge and I'm sure the Queen will enjoy the simpler choice much more and with the quite down to earth ‘country’ side of her personality I'm sure she will approve!

Timothy Belmont said...

Good point.