Princess Royal reopens newly renovated WW1 ship in Belfast

Anne officially reopened a First World War ship in Belfast that has been newly restored after a three year closure due to the pande

The Princess Royal attends the reopening of HMS Caroline (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

The Princess Royal officially reopened a First World War ship in Belfast that has been newly restored after a three-year closure due to the pandemic.

HMS Caroline is the only survivor of the 1916 Battle of Jutland and has been a feature of Belfast’s waterfront since 1924.

Anne was shown how the vessel has been restored to reflect how it would have looked to crew members in 1914, with more than 90% of the ship’s original structures and fittings being saved.

The living quarters, engine room, sick bay and mess deck on board have all been refreshed as part of the restoration work.

New additions also include interactive displays that tell the story of the ship’s history.

Anne, who is patron of the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), unveiled a commemorative plaque on the ship.

Professor Dominic Tweddle, the director general of the NMRN, said the ship was one of “Northern Ireland’s most historically important visitor attractions”.

He added: “We are thrilled that our patron the Princess Royal’s visit marks the official reopening of HMS Caroline after a lengthy period of closure due to the pandemic.”

The ship’s general manager Kerry Rooney said HMS Caroline had a diverse history.

“We are re-engaging with our communities through outreach programmes aimed at showing how HMS Caroline is a shared space whose history in Belfast reflects that of its people,” she said.

“We are looking forward to a very busy summer season.”

HMS Caroline is moored in Belfast’s Alexandra Dock in the Titanic Quarter, and the experience on board won the ship a finalist place in the Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2019.