Queen Names 'Delighted' Kate Middleton Sponsor Of HMS Glasgow As Prince William Reveals News On Visit To Shipyard That Would Have 'Excited And Fascinated' His Late Grandfather Prince Philip

Jun 29, 2021 by apost team

Prince William has revealed that his wife Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, has been appointed the sponsor of HMS Glasgow, a British naval vessel, after stating his late grandfather Prince Philip would have been excited about and fascinated by the skills and techniques shown by the workers at the shipyard.

The Duke of Cambridge, 39, joined his grandmother the Queen, 95, for Royal Week in Scotland. He spoke enthusiasticly about the late Duke of Edinburgh after a tour of the warship currently under construction during his second day of engagements in Scotland. The previous day, he joined the Queen on her first day of the yearly Royal Week - known in Scotland as Holyrood Week. 

The Royal Week happens every year sometime between the end of June and the first half of July and sees the queen meeting Scottish people from all walks and stratas of life. In 2020, the queen missed this tradition due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Prince William is expected to return to England soon, to attend the upcoming unveiling of the statue in honour of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace on July 1. 
The queen on the other handd will remain in Scotland until Thursday to continue meeting people and performing royal duties. 

William - who helds the title Earl of Strathearn when north of the border - also visited the BAE Systems yard in Govan, Glasgow, while he was there. He met with the team building the new navy vessel HMS Glasgow on the banks of the River Clyde. 

During his visit, William announced that his wife the Duchess of Cambridge, 39, has been named the royal sponsor of the frigate and will officially take up her duties after the queen officially approves her appointment to the role.

William's planned visit to the shipyard was originally scheduled to take place during May, however it had to be postponed due to Covid restrictions.

While at the shipyard, William announced, according to the Daily Mail: "Today, I'm very pleased to announce that my family's connection with Type 26 will endure for many years to come. Her Majesty the Queen has approved the appointment of my wife Catherine as sponsor of the superb ship we see taking shape outside - HMS Glasgow. 

I know that Catherine will be delighted to join you here in Glasgow for the naming ceremony in due course."

Her new role is especially important for Duchess Kate, as she has never been the sponsor of a naval vessel before this. As the royal sponsor of the frigate, Kate will be expected to celebrate and support its inauguration and important milestones, official events and deployments involving the ship. A royal sponsorhsip is usually a boon to the vessel and its crew, as it comes along with more media attention and a chance at better funding.

Among the most recent royal sponsorships of navy vessels, the queen herself has assumed this role for the ship named after her, HMS Queen Elizabeth, and Camilla, Prince Charles's wife, has taken up sponsorship of HMS Prince of Wales. 

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Upon his arrival at the shipyard, William met with a group of staff directly in front of the giant City Class Type 26 frigate. 

After he was told that the two halves of the frigate had recently been welded together to finish this stage of construction, William reportedly joked: "Who's responsible for the middle joining up?"

The prince proved impressed by the engineering skill seen at work in this vessel and added: "It's a real feat to be able to sandwich these two together."

William also attended a so-called steel cutting ceremony which marked the beginning of the work on HMS Belfast, a City Class Type 26 global combat ship of the British navy.

Before he pressed the button to begin the construction process, William told the gathered staff and senior BAE Systems executives: "It is a real honour to see the Navy's incredible new Type 26 ships under construction. The scale of achievement is truly staggering, and all the staff I've met here today are rightly proud of what you are doing. Proud not just because you are creating these cutting-edge ships, but because you are supporting the Royal Navy and the national security of the United Kingdom."

He went on to add: "My family's affection for the Royal Navy is well known, and, as I saw the work taking place here today, I was thinking of my grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh. He would have been fascinated and excited to see such advances in skills and technology being put into practice."

The late Prince Philip served as an officer with the Royal Navy during the Second World War and had a long association with the service even after leaving. He was also known to have a passion for engineering.

What do you think about Kate's first royal sponsorship of a British naval vessel? Have you ever been to a ship christening? Tell us what you think and pass this story along!