A Royal Godmother for New Ship

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge – Royal Princess^®

June 13, 2013 | Southampton, England

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Catherine Elizabeth "Kate"; née Middleton), the wife of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, has graciously accepted Princess Cruises' invitation to become the Godmother of Royal Princess.

The Duchess is admired around the world for her style and grace, The Duchess has had a major impact on British fashion and was named on of "The 100 Most Influential People in the World" by Time Magazine in 2012. She is a supporter of several British charities including The Art Room, Action on Addiction, East Anglia's Children's Hospice, the National Portrait Gallery and the Scout Association.

Tradition & Royalty

Like her namesake that debuted in 1984, the new Royal Princess is indeed a special ship, inspiring an equally special godmother. The ship will be officially named  in a spectacular ceremony on 13 June 2013 in the port of Southampton, that will combine some nautical traditions, special British elements and contemporary touches.

The ceremony will uphold British ship-naming traditions including the blessing, a performance by the Royal Marines Band and the pipers of the Irish Guards, together with contemporary highlights.

Alan Buckelew, the line’s president and CEO said “It is a great honor for Princess Cruises that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has accepted our invitation to become the Godmother to Royal Princess. We are delighted that the Duchess will launch our new ship and can think of no better way to celebrate our company’s British heritage and our commitment to the country.”

Inaugural Year

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Royal Princess will arrive at the Ocean Terminal in Southampton on Friday, June 7, where she will commence a series of events for customers and travel agents, including a special naming gala on the evening of Wednesday, June 12. The ship’s inaugural celebrations will conclude with her maiden voyage on June 16.

Two preview cruises will take place (June 9 and June 14). The cruises will sail round-trip from Southampton on a two-night itinerary which calls in St. Peter Port, Guernsey.   Following the inaugural voyage, Royal Princess will sail 12-night cruises out of Barcelona and Venice throughout the summer. A sister ship, Regal Princess, will arrive in spring 2014. 

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Introducing Princess Cruises Newest Ship

Cunard Celebrates Royal Wedding At Sea

Three Queens to Celebrate Royal Wedding at Sea

Prince William and Kate Middleton are to be wed 

on Friday, April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey.

After a week of speculation, the royal couple have
announced their wedding plans.

Prince William's private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton,
said the couple chose the 1,000-year-old abbey in central
London because it has a sense of intimacy.


The wedding day will be a national holiday in Britain,
known there as a bank holiday, and has been described
as a semi-state occasion. It's also the feast day of St.
Catherine of Siena, whose name Middleton shares,
though that is a coincidence.

Engaged at last

On Nov. 16, the royal family announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged. The prince had popped the question to his longtime girlfriend during an October 2010 vacation to Kenya, it was revealed. William and Kate pose for the media at St. James's Palace in London on Nov. 16, after they announced their engagement. The couple are to wed in 2011. (Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP) 

"The wedding of Kate and William will be a happy and momentous occasion," said Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday. "We want to mark the day as one of national celebration, a public holiday will ensure the most people possible will have a chance to celebrate on the day."

Three Queens to View Royal Wedding at Sea

Guests on board Cunard's three ships - Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth - on 29 April 2011, the day of the Royal Wedding, need have no fear of missing one second of the historic union of the future King and Kate Middleton.

Each of the three ships feature Royal Court Theatres - West End in style and West End in size - where the wedding ceremony will be broadcast live. 

• Queen Mary 2's Royal Court Theatre (capacity 1000)
• Queen Elizabeth's Royal Court Theatre (capacity 800)
• Queen  Victoria's Royal Court Theatre (capacity 800)

 Additional venues will be used, such as Queen Mary's Planetarium and lecture room, Illuminations, which seats a further 450 passengers, should demand exceed seating capacity in the theatres.

A Day of Celebration

The day will also be one of celebration on all ships, with that evening's dinner featuring a commemorative menu and a champagne toast.

"Cunard is a company with an enviable heritage and unparalleled links to the Royal family - our ships were named either by Her Majesty The Queen or by her apparent successor, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall," said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard. "It follows then that our passengers are likely to have an above average interest in the pageantry of a Royal wedding. We intend to cater for that and ensure they do not miss one minute.

"Royal weddings don't happen that often and with our impeccable Royal connections we intend to ensure that our red ensign ships lead the British merchant marine in marking this momentous day." 

At the time Queen Elizabeth will be at sea heading for Southampton, Queen Victoria will be at sea in the Mediterranean, and Queen Mary 2 will be on a seven-night Transatlantic Crossing.

Congratulations to the Royal couple and to Cunard Lines for quickly responding to the announcement and assuring that their guests have an opportunity to participate in this festive occasion.