Fraserburgh, June 25, 1986: The arrival of the Duke of Kent was heralded by the skirl of bagpipes as lifeboatman Robert Morrice, piper for the day, led the official party to the platform where the Duke was to name the town's new 47ft Tyne class lifeboat following the tradition set by his mother, HRH Princess Marina, who performed the last naming ceremony in Fraserburgh in 1954.

The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Dr John McKay, welcomed the lifeboat to Fraserburgh and referred to the £430,000 appeal to the people and business community of Edinburgh to fund Fraserburgh's new lifeboat. So successful was the appeal, to which the people of Fraserburgh also donated the magnificent sum of £80,000 through the work of the tireless ladies' guild, that some £480,000 was raised in total.

Sir Charles McGrigor, Convener of the Scottish Lifeboat Council and a member of the RNLFs committee of management, then acknowledged provision of the lifeboat and commended it for the use of Fraserburgh lifeboat station. Captain John Sutherland accepted the lifeboat and finally, Lady Saltoun, honorary president of Fraserburgh ladies' guild, proposed a vote of thanks. Following a service of dedication The Duke of Kent addressed the attentive gathering: "Today marks the opening of a new chapter in the history of the Fraserburgh lifeboat station and sets the seal on the friendship between the citizens of Edinburgh and Fraserburgh. Your lifeboat station has a proud record and the gallantry of Fraserburgh Hfeboatmen has been recognised by the award of 15 bravery medals over the years. But you have also suffered terribly from lifeboat disasters, losing two men in 1919, six men in 1953 and five men in 1970, when the lifeboat, Duchess of Kent, named by my mother in 1954, capsized on service to a Danish fishing vessel. I recall the words of Lord Saltoun at the funeral service which I attended on a bitterly cold day in January 1970. He said, "I have never called lifeboatmen heroes. I have always felt that they are men who can appreciate the risks they run even better than I—but who strain their hearts to outstrip a comrade getting to the boat because they will not let fear be their master. Such men were these." "Those qualities still apply to our lifeboat crews. Few of them would describe themselves as heroes but all know the risks they run and yet they still put out to the help of complete strangers without thought of reward. Everyone in the RNL1 can be proud to be associated with such men. Today, in celebrating the arrival of a new lifeboat in Fraserburgh, we also remember the sacrifices of the past. I am sure that it was admiration for the lifeboatmen that spurred on fund raisers both locally and in Edinburgh to achieve such a magnificent sum to pay for the new lifeboat. She is a sophisticated and expensive craft but I know that both local seamen and other users of the waters of Fraserburgh will feel much safer for her presence. She exemplifies a great spirit of generosity both in the time and effort given to the City of Edinburgh appeal and in the dedication and skill with which the lifeboat crew will carry out their work for many years to come. It therefore gives me great pleasure to name this lifeboat City of Edinburgh. May God bless her and all who sail in her."—G.P..