RNLI Names New Lifeboat ‘Duke of Edinburgh’ to Honour Prince Philip
The latest Shannon class lifeboat (ON1346) is set to be named Duke of Edinburgh in a touching tribute to Prince Philip, who passed away aged 99 earlier this year on 9 April.
Royal Ties Run Deep with RNLI
The RNLI praised the Duke’s lifelong support for maritime services and his close bond with The Queen. Her Majesty has been Patron of the charity since 1952, while Prince Philip joined the RNLI Council in 1972.
Together, they visited numerous lifeboat stations, including the Cowes Lifeboat Station in 2012, where they helped name an Atlantic 85 class vessel. Celebrating the announcement, RNLI noted it coincides with the 71st anniversary of Prince Philip’s first naval command—a fitting homage.
Personal Touch from Prince of Wales
Earlier this summer, Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, attached a magpie-engraved plate to the new lifeboat, a nod to the Duke’s naval past commanding HMS Magpie in 1950.
The lifeboat is being built at the RNLI’s All-weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole, Dorset, and will be stationed at Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk—just a stone’s throw from Sandringham, where the Duke spent much of his later life.
Community and Charity Celebrate the Tribute
RNLI chief executive Mark Dowie commented,
“It’s a great honour for Wells Lifeboat Station and the RNLI. We’re proud to remember The Duke’s lifelong maritime dedication with a lifeboat serving a community close to Sandringham. He was pleased to hear of the plans, and though he sadly passed before seeing it, this is a wonderful tribute to his legacy.”
Wells Lifeboat Operations Manager Chris Hardy added,
“We are immensely proud to have the new Shannon class lifeboat named Duke of Edinburgh. It will continue saving lives at sea, a cause close to His Royal Highness throughout his life.”
The new boat is the 53rd funded by donations to The Lifeboat Fund, celebrating the Civil Service charity’s 150th anniversary. Sir Jeremy Fleming, Chair of The Lifeboat Fund, said,
“This is the second royal-associated lifeboat at Wells—the first was the Royal Silver Jubilee from 1936 to 1945. This new vessel is especially fitting.”
