Clyde Turbine Steamer Foundation
: TS Queen Mary website
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.
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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 |
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HM Queen Mary's portrait can be seen in the centre
background in the ship's forward loung on the promenade deck |
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The Cunard company continued to use royal names
for its latgest most prestige ocean liners and for their next vessel,
they chose Queen Elizabeth, the name of the queen of the recently
crowned King George V. |
RETURN TO
Queen Mary : Main
Data page
Queen Mary photograph archive
Please note that this is an unofficial website, not connected in any way with past or present owners of the Queen Mary. The Clyde Turbine Steamer Foundation aims to retain the memory of her long career and to have cordial relations with the owners in order to help promote her in her current role.
Tramscape and
Gordon Stewart.
All photographs displayed are with the permission of the acknowledged photographer
but are not to be copied for re-use for any other website or publication without
the specific authorisation of the photographer. You are welcome to use the text
from this website as a research source and basis for your own work but it should
not be copied and republished elsewhere verbatim or only slightly altered.
All
material on these websites : tramways.awardspace.com, paddlesteamers.awardspace.com,
steamships.awardspace.com, turbinesteamers.awardspace.com, paddlesteamers.freehostia.com
and turbinesteamers.freehostia.com are
Tramscape and Gordon Stewart or the individual photographer where acknowledged.
Photos not otherwised attributed are by Gordon Stewart
If you do copy any material for personal use please as a courtesy do what you can to support these paddle steamers by sailing on them and support one or more these organisations in whatever way you can
