Personnel from the Royal Navy’s state-of-the-art frigate HMS Glasgow met the ship’s sponsor The Princess of Wales for the first time.
The Type 26 vessel is currently under construction at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Govan, Glasgow.
To date, fifteen sailors have joined the vessel, the first contingent of the eventual complement of 161 Royal Navy personnel.
The crew were invited to Windsor where they met with The Princess of Wales for the first time since her appointment as HMS Glasgow’s ship’s sponsor was announced in June last year.
“It was a huge honour to be invited to Windsor Castle and to meet Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales,” said Warrant Officer Darran Sullivan, the ship’s Executive Warrant Officer.
“The appointment of sponsor signals an enduring connection between the ship’s crew and Her Royal Highness. It is clear from meeting her that she has a real interest in HMS Glasgow and in the lives of those who will serve onboard.”
Petty Officer Colin Chalmers, who joined as one of HMS Glasgow’s Marine Engineers last month, echoed the sentiment: “It was amazing meeting The Princess of Wales, particularly as there was such a small group of us in attendance. The moment she walked into the room her enthusiasm and genuine interest in us really shone through and put us immediately at ease.”
During the visit, the ship’s company presented Her Royal Highness with an HMS Glasgow ship’s crest and challenge coin.
“The entire ship’s company is looking forward to the time when we can invite The Princess of Wales onboard the ship and further develop the relationship between HMS Glasgow and her sponsors,” said Commander Phil Burgess, the ship’s Senior Naval Officer.
HMS Glasgow is the first of the Royal Navy’s new City Class Type 26 frigates. The first batch of the new generation of ships are being built by BAE Systems on the River Clyde, with HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast following the first of the class.
The ships’ main roles are anti-submarine warfare and air defence, although their flexible design means that they can also perform other duties such as counter-terrorism missions, disaster relief, and martime security missions. The vessels will also deliver critical protection for the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) and the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Groups.
Each Type 26 will be equipped with the Sea Ceptor missile defence system, a five-inch medium calibre gun, a flexible mission bay, Artisan 997 Medium Range Radar, and towed array Sonar.
There have been nine ships of the Royal Navy named HMS Glasgow, datingback to the 1700s.
It is estimated that more than 25,000 Royal Navy, merchant, and passenger ships have been built on the River Clyde since the first yard opened in 1711.
