“UMBRELLAS out but enthusiasm not dampened!” beamed the subheading on the front page of the Evening Times, as the royal yacht Britannia was launched in Clydebank.
More than 20,000 people turned out to celebrate the event, which happened 67 years ago this month.
It was raining, but the crowds flocking to see the Queen and Prince Philip arrive at John Brown’s Shipyard on April 16, 1953, were undeterred.
“Long before the arrival, thousands of the Dumbarton townsfolk hurried from all parts of the burgh to crowd the station approaches,” our newspaper reported.
“Street standards in the town were decorated with attractive red, white and blue pennants, and from every window of the tall grey tenements hung a riot of flags and streamers.
“The young people of the town were given pride of place at the street barriers and for nearly an hour before the Queen’s arrival, long crocodiles of schoolchildren, clutching little flags, marched from their schools to their appointed places along the Royal route.”
The Queen and Duke were greeted at the yard by Brown’s directors and officials and the First Lord of the Admiralty, JPL Thomas.
After lunch they were driven to the western edge of the yard where, in one of the berths, the yacht – painted in royal blue with a gold bank beneath the upper deck, and with the royal coat of arms on the bow – awaited.
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The Queen then revealed the name and launched the ship. The band struck up Rule Britannia and the crowd joined in as the yacht eased down the slipway.
Heavy rain began to fall shortly afterwards, as eight shipyard managers and foremen were presented to the Queen. Some of them had remarkably long records of service, including Arthur A Jeeves, chief engine works draughtsman, had worked there since 1906; David G Reavey, engine works dock manager, since 1911, and William M Beattie, head foreman, engine shop, since 1918.
Heavy rain began to fall shortly afterwards, as eight shipyard managers and foremen were presented to the Queen. Some of them had remarkably long records of service, including Arthur A Jeeves, chief engine works draughtsman, had worked there since 1906; David G Reavey, engine works dock manager, since 1911, and William M Beattie, head foreman, engine shop, since 1918.
The Queen was presented, by Lord Aberconway, chairman of John Brown, with a set of old glasses engraved by Mr (later Sir) Laurence Whistler, brother of the late artist, Rex. The Queen congratulated him on the design of the glasses.
The main goblet included an engraving of the Britannia with, in the distance, a small sailing yacht, the hull of which bore, in almost invisible letters, the name Britannia. Mr Whistler told the Queen that this had been purely coincidental and that he had had no foreknowledge of the name of the new royal yacht.
As the royal party eventually departed, a “gruff Clydeside voice” was clearly heard on the TV transmission yelling “good old Lizzie”.
The Evening Times reported that the cheering crowd “echoed this homespun salutation to our gracious Queen.”
Britannia’s sea-trials began that November, and she was commissioned into the Royal Navy in January 1954. Over 44 years she called in at more than 600 ports in 135 countries, and sailing the equivalent of once around the world for each of these years, and she is now a major tourist attraction, berthed at Leith docks.
Inside the newspaper, photographers captured the Royal couple’s other engagements that day, including visits to Dumbarton Castle, the Mountblow housing estate and the Burroughs Adding Machine factory at the Vale of Leven industrial estate.
The Queen planted a Scots pine to mark the occasion, and she was presented with a miniature adding-machine for each of her children.
Were you there when the Queen launched the royal yacht? We would love to hear your stories of that day, and see your photographs. Write to Ann Fotheringham, Glasgow Times, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB or email ann.fotheringham@glasgowtimes.co.uk
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