ROYAL REUNION
The Queen smiles during a visit to the International Maritime Organization, London, to mark the 70th anniversary of its formation. She encountered a face from her past when she met a former commander of the Royal Yacht Britannia.
THE QUEEN met a face from her past when she celebrated the 70th anniversary of the United Nations body regulating global shipping – a former commander of the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Paddy McKnight, who was in charge of the vessel for two years, was at the International Maritime Organization – the only HQ of a UN agency in London – 35 years after the Queen had officially declared it open. The former naval officer, who was in charge of Britannia from 1983, said: “I’d been on the yacht 11 days before the Queen opened this building.
“I did a series of trips, the first was a state visit to Sweden. If something goes wrong you’re the guy that carries the can. And the Queen is very sharp, she’s very observant, so things have got to be spot on.” In Oxford, the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was given a book of lullabies by children at Pegasus Primary School, where she met parents backing a charity supporting emotional health. Meanwhile, singer Melanie Chisholm, formerly one of the Spice Girls, joined the Prince of Wales and other celebrities including hosts Ant and Dec at a Prince’s Trust award ceremony, recognising young people who have turned their lives around. Stars Tom Hardy, Bryan Cranston and Sir Tom Jones were also present.