Unlike that of the Queen Mary II in January 2004, when news channels in Britain
gave over exhaustive live coverage to the launch by the Queen, this
ceremony has (so far at least) received zero coverage on the national news.
Only the BBC's regional news channel in Southampton has covered the launch of the latest Queen of the seas.
Not quite, perhaps, what the Prince of Wales' household would have hoped for as Camilla embarked on the latest stage of her own voyage towards her ultimate destiny as the wife of His Majesty The King....
Comment: Joanne, Thanks for the clarification. I had no idea that there was a new Oriana. I have fond memories of the old one. Grandmothers and families boarding in Southampton to sail to Sydney. The grandmothers sitting on deck with their needlework, and the families anxious for their new homes in Australia. I believe it was one of the first voyages of the ship being single class, so you saw a little bit of everything. Sadly the great deep water voyages are no longer that popular, ships now have much shorter cruises to capture the younger and still working passengers.
On the other hand, I thought Camilla's hat was hideous. It didn't suit her at all.
To sail on a ship where the bottle didn't break during christening is a bad omen. I would have second thoughts.
Name: Joanne
Comment: Hi Donovan
Funnily enough, there was a new Oriana launched in 1995, but - before I throw myself overboard - let me just say that I did get the name wrong. It was the Aurora.
Thank goodness they don't launch these cruise ships/liners too often.....it's all VERY confusing.
Quick, book me a ticket on the next one along
Joanne
Name: valmae
Comment: Joanne: A truly beautifully made hat and sits so well on the head. Well done Camilla for choosing it. Sad about the "champers", but I understand that another bottle was broken against the liner's side.
I remember Princess Marina, years ago, manually hurling the bottle at the side of a ship and it came back to her (broken), with great aplumb she wiped her gloved finger against its neck and tasted the wine.
It was a busy news day, even the news channels were choc a bloc with real news.
I've seen some interior shots of the Queen Victoria and it is impressively luxurious. Some of us thought that QE2 would be the last of the LINE, but Cunard have turned up trumps with the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Vic. I am saving my pennies for a trip (I know that, more's the pity, none of the actual royals will be there!). If the future trend is away from air travel for holidays, it would be wonderful to travel in such a great ship.
Name: Donovan
Comment: Joanne,
I don't think that Anne christened the Oriana, which was a P&O ship. I sailed on the Oriana to Fiji in 1975 and P. Anne would have been a baby when that ship was launched.
Name: Jessica Wales
Comment: It didn't smash! Holy Hannah!!!
Even elderly Nancy Reagan managed to smash her champagne bottle when commishioning the USS Ronald Reagan.
Name: Monika
Comment: Julie, I honestly believe CH is doing it's darnedest to make her appear more royal by association. They want to re-gain the ground (unstable as it may have been) they lost due to the whole Memorial fiasco. That's why she’s been wearing the blinding baubles and, today, dressing up like the QM. While it's true that a lady will wear nice clothes and jewels, nice clothes and jewels don’t necessarily make a woman a lady. In addition, staging these safe, simple engagements will never take the place of a truly dedicated approach to various charities and causes.
Name: Jean Sue Libkind
Comment: The hat is hideous; it looks like something the Yorks would wear.
Name: Monika
Comment: My God, it looks like Camilla raided the QM's closet. I'll take the larger hats any day.
As for the lack of coverage, well, perhaps if the event had been altered to "The Queen Launches the Duchess," it might be far more appealing.
Unlike that of the Queen Mary II in January 2004, when news channels in Britain
gave over exhaustive live coverage to the launch by the Queen, this
ceremony has (so far at least) received zero coverage on the national news.
