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of Queen Mary information and photographs
part
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The Cunard White Star Connection
Many
people are unaware that the Clyde Steamer Queen Mary was the original vessel
on the register named after King George V's queen, Queen Mary. The Turbine Steamers
company had followed this naming principle since the introduction of the world's
pioneering passenger turbine steamer, King Edward, in 1901 and its successor
was granted the right for their new steamer in 1933. This posed a problem for
the Cunard White Star Company, who, in building the world's largest liner, wanted
to use the same name (*). The ships would not be engaged in the same trade but would
inevitably meet at times on the Clyde and the smaller ship, on its daily cruise
from Glasgow to the Clyde resorts would pass directly the shipyard of John Brown
at Clydebank as the massive new liner took shape in 1933 and 1934. The name
could not be used twice on the register. Eventually an agreement was reached
whereby the Clyde Steamer was renamed Queen Mary II. This was commemorated in
a plaque presented to the Williamson-Buchanan Company who owned the Glasgow-based
steamer and which was affixed aboard the ship. A portrait of HM Queen Mary was
also presented and took pride of place in the forward lounge on the promenade
deck. Queen Mary II outlived the Cunard liner as an operational ship and
readopted her original name in 1976 and sailed as Queen Mary for two seasons
until she also went into retirement.
(*)
The story circulates that in their request of the monarch, King George V, to
use a royal name for their new liner, the Cunard-White Star company's chairman
asked the king whether they could use the name of the country's greatest ever
queen. The monarch responded immediately that his wife would be most delighted.
The company had not intended to name their ship Queen Mary, but Queen Victoria
in honour of the longest reigning monarch who presided over the world-wide
expansion of the British Empire. However, in view of the king's response, arrangements
were hastily made for the alternative name and hence the urgent negotiations
with the Williamson-Buchanan company on the Clyde.
For two summers before she was retired, Queen Mary sailed once
again without the "II", readopting her original name once
the Cunard ocean liner had been removed from the register. The
lower plaque commemorates the original re-naming in 1934
Photo
kindly supplied by Andrew King
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