Queen unveils new Cutty Sark

After surviving the roughest seas and a devastating fire, a restored Cutty Sark has been unveiled by the Queen after a £50 million restoration project.

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Queen unveils restored Cutty Sark on Greenwich trip

The Queen first opened the Cutty Sark 55 years ago Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire

The Queen has stepped on board the restored Cutty Sark tea clipper on a visit to Greenwich, south east London.

The Queen was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh on the trip Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire
The tea clipper has undergone a £50 million restoration Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire

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Factfile: The Cutty Sark

  • The world's last remaining tea clipper, it is now 143 years old
  • A restoration project for the vessel cost £50 million
  • The 2007 fire was caused by a vacuum cleaner that had been left on
  • The clipper is now displayed more than 11ft above its dry berth in Greenwich, south east London
  • The space under the three-masted vessel is home to an interactive museum
  • Most of the fixtures and fittings were removed before the fire so visitors can still see many original features on deck
  • The Duke of Edinburgh has a long association with the ship and co-founded the Cutty Sark Society in 1951 to safeguard the vessel
  • He came to Greenwich soon after the fire to assess the damage for himself and passed on advice gained from the fire at Windsor Castle in 1992

'People have invested love in this ship'

The Cutty Sark has been reopened five years after it was hit by a devastating fire:

"We have a ship fit for the Queen and we're very proud Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh have come to open the site.

"Fifty-five years on from when she first came, it's a very different experience, offering a light environment in the Cutty Sark's new elevated position.

"People have invested love in this ship to put it back together again."

– Richard Doughty, director of the Cutty Sark Trust

Queen visits new Royal Row Barge

The Queen visited the Gloriana barge and the Cutty Sark on her trip to Greenwich Credit: Jamie Wiseman/PA Wire

The Cutty Sark, the world's last remaining tea clipper, has been reopened by the Queen five years after it was ravaged by a fire.

The maritime attraction, which was first opened by the Queen 55 years ago, has undergone a £50 million restoration.

The Queen also made her first visit to Gloriana, the new Royal Row Barge.

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Queen visits Greenwich to reopen the Cutty Sark

During their tour of Greenwich - which has been made a royal borough to mark the Queen's Jubilee - the Queen and Philip will visit the nearby National Maritime Museum.

The Queen will open a new exhibition - curated by historian David Starkey - which explores the relationship between the monarch, the City of London and its people through the River Thames.

The major exhibition celebrates her Diamond Jubilee and the Museum's 75th anniversary and features paintings, manuscripts and other artefacts.

The Cutty Sark: from fire to rebirth

A fire burns on board the clipper boat The Cutty Sark in 2007. Flames and thick black smoke shot high into the sky above the dry dock. Credit: Reuters
An aerial view shows damage to the Cutty Sark following the fire. Credit: Reuters
A worker cleans windows around the clipper Cutty Sark in its new housing. Credit: Reuters

Queen to reopen the Cutty Sark after devastating fire

The Cutty Sark has been fully restored in Greenwich Credit: Reuters

The Queen will formally open the Cutty Sark today five years after it was devastated by fire.

The famous 19th-century tea clipper was gutted by a blaze in 2007 but has undergone a £50 million conservation project.

The Queen will be joined by the Duke of Edinburgh who has a long association with the vessel, co-founding the Cutty Sark Society in 1951 to safeguard the ship.

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