April 25, 2012 
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (R), attend the opening of the 'Cutty Sark' tea clipper in Greenwich, east London, on April 25, 2012. The Queen officially re-opened the clipper to the public during a visit to Greenwich on April 25. The merchant ship was closed to the public in 2006 ahead of a major restoration project but suffered major damage during a fire in 2007. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL
LONDON — The Queen began a day of visits to Docklands and Greenwich by naming a Royal barge at a rain-hit and windy Greenland Pier.
The Monarch, accompanied by Prince Philip, arrived mid-morning today (Wednesday) at the Southwark venue where she officially named the gold plated boat Gloriana.
The barge, whose construction was commissioned by Lord Sterling, will be a lead vessel in the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant.
All 24 of the Queen’s Royal Watermen were also present at the visit, including Sean Collins, managing director of Thames Clippers, the ferry company which owns the pier.
The Queen went on board the barge, which is built to be rowed by 18 people and can carry a maximum of 52 people.
She then went to the stern to name the boat before being presented with a commemorative silver gift by Lord Sterling who said to her: “That’s as much as we can do in this inclement weather.
“I didn’t think you would turn up,” he joked.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth waves as she attends the official re-opening of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London April 25, 2012. The Cutty Sark is the world's last surviving tea clipper and has been extensively restored after being damaged by fire in 2006. REUTERS/Paul Hackett
Stuart Roy, one of the architects for the barge, was introduced to the Queen. He said: “I’m not sure she knew what to expect as this is the first barge of its kind to be built since the 1800s.”
Following the pageant, Gloriana will be used by a range of charities. It will be based in Richmond.
The construction of the barge, which is made almost entirely of wood and is decorated with 23.5 carat golf leaf, took around seven months.
The Queen was then due to visit the newly reopened Cutty Sark in Greenwich. (*)
SOURCE : LONDON24.COM
Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2012
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