THE ORDER OF THE RIVER PAGEANT
Manpowered craft 100s of gigs, cutters and other small vessels, even kayaks, under oars
Commonwealth flags Boats representing many Commonwealth countries
Royal section Britannia’s Royal Barge, Trinity House and Heralds
ADAM SHAFTESBURY A gift fit for a Queen Ceremonial barge to commemorate the Queen’s 60-year reign
Work on the ‘royal rowbarge’ Gloriana started in November in a warehouse in a part of west London seldom visited by tourists. A team of up to 30 men, led by Thames boatbuilder Mark Edwards, toiled around the clock to have the 78ft 5in (23.9m) craft ready in time to present to the Queen on 25 April. The boat should be as strong as she is glorious, with six keelsons to compensate for her extreme length to
beam ratio (she’s 11ft/3.5m wide). The design was chosen by Mark from a collection recorded by Frederic Chapman, and involves more than 1,000 rolls of real gold leaf. It is known that the barge whose
lines were used for Gloriana existed in around 1750 on the River Thames, although all other information has been lost to history. The idea to recreate such a vessel belongs to Lord Jeffrey Sterling,
who came up with the plan two years ago as a way to commemorate the Queen’s 60 years on the throne. “Two years ago, I wanted something timeless,” he told Classic Boat. Gloriana has been designated a ‘heroes barge’, and will lead the fleet, rowed by the full complement of 18 oarsmen – among them, Olympic rowers Steven Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent and a number of injured ex-servicemen.
Dunkirk Little Ships Served heroically in the Second World War
Historic boats Including forces boats, lifeboats and launches
Working and steamboats
Tugs, fishing boats and other working boats
Leisure boats Tupperware Navy - modern glassfibre boats
Narrowboats and dutch barges
Canal boats old and new
Passenger boats Thames workhorses
Music barges Playing live music between each section
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