All of us at KC are very saddened to hear of the death of the Queen and send our condolences to the Royal Family.
Along with all the multiplicity of positive things she accomplished during her long reign we remember that she supported historic ships not least through the work of her husband Prince Philip who was very active in the field and who founded what is now the Maritime Heritage Trust.
The Queen travelled aboard paddle steamers from time to time over the years both in this country and abroad. In this shot you can see her boarding the paddle steamer Stadt Luzern for lunch at Lucerne in May 1980.
Here she is with Prince Philip being welcomed aboard PS Maid of the Loch at Balloch on Loch Lomond in June 1971 by Captain Neil Nicolson.
Her youngest son Prince Edward has travelled aboard Kingswear Castle.
During her long reign a number of both naval and merchant ships were named after her but the first was a paddle steamer, Princess Elizabeth, which was launched in 1927 when she was a baby aged just one.
Queen Elizabeth II 1926 – 2022. Rest in Peace.
Kingswear Castle returned to service in 2023 after the first part of a major rebuild which is designed to set her up for the next 25 years running on the River Dart. The Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust is now fund raising for the second phase of the rebuild. You can read more about the rebuilds and how you can help if you can here.
John Megoran
