Naming and Commissioning of TS Royalist ...

A truly Character-Building ceremony at East India Docks

There are times when we all realise that something has gone well - in spite of the weather....

Last Friday - 29th June - was just such an event when the Princess Royal Named and Commissioned the new TS Royalist which replaced the old TS Royalist, which she had also commissioned in the 1970s.  Historically, WCoMC through our Charitable Fund and in the tradition of all Livery Companies, has actively supported the Sea Cadets. We have made a number of grants to the Sea Cadets, grants that have enabled young people to experience life changing activities on or offshore. (The Sea Cadets were established in 1856; today some 14,000 young people are involved with the support of 9,000 volunteers, based in 400 units in cities and ports around the UK; we have mostly focused our support on the London units.)

Constructing and fitting out the (new) TS Royalist involved an appeal for £4.8m - which was achieved in record time by the cadets' very effective fund raising team. As has been previously reported, The Company's Charitable Fund contributed a significant sum to that appeal and our Company Name is now proudly set alongside those of a number of other distinguished organisations on the commemorative plaque set just inside the main cabin of the ship.

Royalist is a training brig with a permanent crew of six that will take 24 cadets at a time to sea for six day voyages, giving them a truly transformational experience. The design of the new Royalist draws on large fast yachts and is surprisingly roomy inside. She will be faster and easier to handle, yet more economical than the older ship, which has herself sailed over 200,000 nautical miles and taken some 30,000 cadets on life changing adventures at sea.

So back to the ceremony: why is that when you have a parade, a band, a senior member of the Royal Family, an array of supporters and the military all assembled for a special one-off activity in May, the weather turns foul? And during the ceremony, not even the Bishop of London could stop the rain from lashing down on us all during the reading from St Mark Chapter 4 (when Christ stilled the Tempest on the sea of Galilee)! But the weather did not dampen the pride that was clearly evident amongst the cadets and their supporters.

I hope the photos on this page will give you some idea of the new flagship. I have also included below a montage of the old ship (when she was at the Tall Ships event last September).

Frankly, this makes me very proud that WCoMC has a Charitable Fund and is able to support such organisations, those that support young people in particular.

Patrick Chapman
Chairman - The Company of Management Consultants Charitable Fund.