The Princess Royal was gifted a plaque carved from the original teak deck of the most luxurious steamer ever to ply the waters around Glasgow as she arrived to celebrate its 90th anniversary.
Princess Anne met with supporters, volunteers and fundraisers who are helping to make the TS Queen Mary shipshape two years on from the announcement the iconic vessel will sail again.
Built at Dumbarton in 1933, TS Queen Mary carried 13,000 passengers each week and was known as “Britain’s Finest Pleasure Steamer”.
Her Royal Highness was in Glasgow to learn of the progress of the restoration and round off the ship’s year-long celebrations at the city’s Hilton Hotel.
Restoration work has gathered pace in the two years since the Princess Royal made the announcement on a visit to the ship, currently berthed in Govan.
Fundraising currently stands at over £5 million – halfway to the anticipated cost of making her fit to resume her role and sail on the Firth of Clyde.
Originally, it was envisaged that TS Queen Mary would be permanently berthed at Pacific Quay at Glasgow Science Centre and have a heritage and maritime training focus drawing people to the location and this is still part of the plan.
The charity Friends of TS Queen Mary – tasked with the restoration - says it has been “overwhelmed by the generosity of corporate donors and individuals” keen to see the ship restored to its former glory.
READ MORE: Work set to begin on historic Clyde steamer
King George V, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and the then Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret and Lord Mountbatten of Burma all sailed on the Queen Mary.
Other famous names to step aboard included US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Viscount Montgomery of Alamein and music hall legend Sir Harry Lauder.
Her last time cruising was in September 1977 and the ship had a reputation as the largest, most luxurious and prestigious steamer on the Clyde intact.
READ MORE: Restored TS Queen Mary to double as cruise ship and floating college
Iain Sim, Chairman of the Friends of TS Queen Mary said: “We are delighted to welcome back to Glasgow our Royal Patron HRH The Princess Royal. Our ongoing endeavour to ensure TS Queen Mary sails again on the Clyde continues to gather pace with some significant progress in the last year.
“We feel very privileged to have HRH The Princess Royal as our Royal Patron – celebrating, as it does the important link with the Royal Family which the ship is renowned for.”
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